Saka walked up to accept the Socrates Award, football’s humanitarian prize named after the late Brazilian midfielder Sócrates, and did not open with a speech of his own. He pulled out a letter and began reading in the first person.

“To everyone here tonight, my name is Biringiro, I’m 14 years old and I live in Rwanda.”

Biringiro began losing his sight at 12. His village has no electricity, and as his vision deteriorated he struggled to move around his own home, to read the blackboard at school, to play with other children. BigShoe, the humanitarian charity Saka works with, got him the eye care he needed.

The letter closed with the boy saying he can now read the blackboard from the back of the class, that he can enjoy being a child again, and that he wants to become an English teacher one day. Saka’s own line came only after that.

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“For me, 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,” he said on stage.

Burna Boy, then a hush

The staging gave the moment its edge. The Arsenal winger was called up by the Nigerian artist Burna Boy, who presented the trophy in front of a room filled with the game’s biggest names. Harry Kane, the English striker who went on to win the main Ballon d’Or, was among those in the audience. Clips of Saka’s speech spread quickly on social media overnight.

BigShoe’s work, in numbers

BigShoe describes itself as a network of footballers, fans and partners funding treatment for children in disadvantaged regions. The organisation’s recent output includes 120 medical operations in Nigeria and health check-ups for more than 580 children in Rwanda. Saka has been one of its most visible faces for several seasons.

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