'On behalf of all the children we've been able to help': Bukayo Saka wins football's humanitarian prize

On Monday night in London, Bukayo Saka stepped onto the Ballon d'Or stage not for a goal but for a letter. The Arsenal and England winger received the 2026 Sócrates Award — football's honour for humanitarian work, presented by France Football and Peace and Sport — and used his moment to read aloud the words of Biringiro, a 14-year-old in Rwanda who began losing his sight at 12 in a village with no electricity, until eye care funded through the BigShoe charity gave it back: 'Today, I can read the blackboard even from the back of the classroom. I can enjoy being a child again.' Saka, whose parents come from Nigeria, partnered with BigShoe in 2022 to fund more than 120 life-saving operations for children in Kano, and has spoken out against discrimination throughout his career. Nigerian artist Burna Boy presented the award. 'It's an honour to be here,' Saka said, 'on behalf of all the children we've been able to help.'

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: individual leader