Sadio Mane, the Senegalese footballer, won the first edition of the Socrates trophy at the 2022 Ballon d’Or award on Monday in Paris. The Socrates award has been introduced in the Ballon d’Or for the first time this year to recognise the off-the-field contribution of a footballer.  

Mane was awarded the Socrates award for his work in healthcare and education in his home country Senegal. The Bayern Munich star had built a school in his village, and last year he also built a super specialty hospital in Bambaly, his village in Senegal. 

Also read: Watch: Sadio Mane wins the first Socrates award at the 2022 Ballon d’Or

What is the Socrates Award? 

The Socrates award has been named after Socrates, the Brazilian footballer. The award will be given every year starting this year for a footballer’s humanitarian efforts.

It was inaugurated by the brother of the late footballer, Rai, at the ceremony on Monday. Rai is a former footballer who played for Paris Saint Germain and is also a part of the jury that decides the winners of the Ballon d’Or. 

Socrates played for Brazil for seven years between 1979 and 1986 scoring a total of 22 goals. However, he is best known for his medical degree and political awareness which earned him the nickname Doctor Socrates.

Also read: Robert Lewandowski wins the Gerd Muller trophy at the 2022 Ballon d’Or

He founded the Corinthians Democracy in Brazil to oppose the then-ruling military dictatorship. He stated that three of his childhood heroes were Fidel Castro, Che Guevera, and John Lennon. 

Along with the Socrates Award, a new award for the top goalscorer across all top-flight leagues was also unveiled during the 2022 Ballon d’Or award ceremony in Paris. Named after the German striker, this award is called the Gerd Muller trophy. 

Robert Lewandowski, the Barcelona striker, won the Gerd Muller award 2022 after scoring 50 goals in all major leagues in 2021-22.