Senegalese forward Sadio Mane and Barcelona Feminina midfielder, Alexia Putellas, made history at the 2022 Ballon d’Or held in Paris, France on October 17.
Mane became the first ever footballer to receive the Socrates award in recognition of his social commitment.
Speaking during the event, Mane, who adorned an African attire, stated that improving the lives of individuals in his community makes him happy.
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“First of all I want to say a good evening to everybody. I am very happy to be part of you guys. Sometimes I am a bit shy to talk about it, but I am really happy to do what I can for our people and to make things better,” stated Mane.
The 30-year-old has done a lot of charity work in his hometown of Bambali. He has, so far, funded the construction of hospitals, and schools and even gives a monthly token to village mates.
Besides winning the Socrates award, Mane also finished second behind the Ballon d’Or winner, Real Madrid's Karim Benzema.
The reigning African footballer of the year helped his former side Liverpool reach the UEFA Champions League final last season.
He also bagged 21 goals to guide the Reds to a second-place finish in the English Premier League.
Putellas, on the other hand, became the first female footballer to bag the women’s Ballon d’Or Feminin for two consecutive years.
France Football, the organizers of the awards, launched the Ballon d’Or féminin in 2018, with Olympique Lyonnais goal machine Ada Hegerberg clinching the first edition.
In 2019, United States star Megan Rapinoe won the prestigious award after her heroic display at the FIFA Women’s World Cup that was held the same year.
Putellas received the award for the first time in 2021 after the 2020 edition was cancelled during the Pandemic.
Although the attacking midfielder did not feature for the entire year due to an injury, she helped Barcelona win the Primera Division Femenina and reach the UEFA Women’s Champions League final.
Barcelona won the league without losing a single match.
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