Arsenal's Bukayo Saka won the Socrates Award at the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony, then spent much of his speech talking about the charity work behind it. He accepted the prize on behalf of the children his work has helped, and the details he chose to share were personal rather than polished.

Saka's speech and the eye care behind it

"It's an honour to be here, and it's an honour to receive this award. On behalf of all the children we've been able to help, thank you," Saka said. The award was first given out in 2022 to former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, and the 2026 version once again pointed away from individual glamour and towards off-pitch impact.

Saka's most striking detail was about a child whose sight had been restored through Big Shoe. "When I was 12, I started losing my sight. My village has no electricity and as my eyesight got worse, even moving around my home became difficult," he said.

He then explained what the support meant in practical terms. "Then thanks to Big Shoe, I received the eye care that I needed. Today, I can read the blackboard even from the back of the classroom. I can enjoy being a child again. For the first time in a long time, I'm excited about my future. I want to become an English teacher one day."

Big Shoe and Saka's wider charity work

Big Shoe provides medical care and humanitarian aid for children and families in need in London and around the world. Saka also said, "We know how it feels to be a child and having a ball at your feet and how much joy you have," before adding, "Every time I have the opportunity to help another kid have that feeling again, that's important to me."

There is also a broader picture to the work, with reports from So Foot saying Saka funded 120 procedures for children from Kano in Nigeria through BigShoe and financed accommodation for 26 displaced families after the February 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye. The spelling varies between Big Shoe and BigShoe in the reporting, but the core idea is the same, medical care and humanitarian aid for children and families.

Saka's award lands while Arsenal sit second in the Premier League with 21 points from 8 matches, and he has 7 league appearances and 2 goals this season. Those numbers are not the story here, but they do show that he is being honoured for work away from the pitch while still playing regularly for one of England's biggest clubs.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →