Sadio Mane, a star for Senegal and Bayern Munich, finished second, making history as the first African footballer to do so since 1996, when George Weah became the first and only African to win the prestigious award.
In the 2022 Balon d’Or, Sadio Mane defeated Kevin De Bruyne of Belgium for second place, but Karim Benzema of France won the award in the end.
With Senegal, Sadio Mane won the Africa Cup of Nations in the reviewed year. He also helped Liverpool win the Carabao and FA Cups.
He also played a significant role in Liverpool’s journey to the UEFA Champions League final and their successful run in the Premier League, which ended with a loss to Manchester City.
Sadio Mane scored 23 goals and tallied up five assists in 51 outings for Liverpool last season across all competitions.
Sadio Mane also received the Socrates Award during the ceremony held in Paris at the Théâtre du Châtelet for his humanitarian efforts.
The Senegalese is the first recipient of the prize, which honors athletes for their extracurricular involvement off the field.
Sadio Mané opened a brand-new hospital in his hometown of Bambaly in the Casamance region of western Senegal last year.
He put nearly a million dollars into the construction of infrastructure, including a school, during a short period of time.
The Bayern Munich winger provides a nearly $70 monthly support package to every household in the area and has given out about $400 in bonuses to the village’s finest high school students.
Sadio Mané is the first African player since 1995 #BallonDor winner George Weah to finish among the top 3 pic.twitter.com/gQhiStbvmx
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) October 17, 2022
