Ballon d’Or announces new ‘Socrates Prize’; understand the tribute and how it works

The award named after the Corinthians idol will honor solidarity actions

the ceremony of Ballon d’Or 2022, scheduled for October 17, will have a new award for football athletes committed to social and charitable projects. It is the “Sócrates Award”, which was named in honor of the Brazilian player who died in 2011.

“The Sócrates Award will allow the identification of the best solidarity actions carried out by champions and champions committed,” said a statement from the magazine. France Footballwhich delivers the Ballon d’Or.

The award will recognize initiatives in favor of social inclusion, environmental development or aid to populations in great precariousness or victims of conflict, such as the 2020 mobilization led by English striker Marcus Rashford in favor of disadvantaged British families.

Socrates’ name was chosen by the France Football due to the Brazilian’s commitment to “Corinthian democracy”: in the midst of the military dictatorship in Brazil, in the 1980s, Corinthians decided to submit all the club’s decisions to the vote of the players and employees.

The new award will be defined by a jury that will have the participation of Raí, idol of PSG and world champion with Brazilian Team in 1994, younger brother of Sócrates, and by the directors of the organization Peace and Sport, which brings together projects for development and pacification through sport.

“Socrates always believed in the power of mobilization and transformation through sport, to make society more egalitarian. He demonstrated this as a player with his fight for the redemocratization of Brazil during the revolutionary experience of Corinthian democracy”, said Raí, quoted in the statement. .

“Eleven years after his death, he remains the symbol of the champion committed to a fairer world,” he added.

The new trophy completes the Ballon d’Or ceremony, which will take place on October 17 at the Chatelet Theater in Paris.

After the Supercup title, Real Madrid trains focused on the Copa del Rey See more videos from Hayters – Pressbox at Beyond the Kopa Trophy for the best young player, the Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper and the Gerd Müller Trophy for the top scorer of the season, The Socrates Award and the Golden Balls for the best player and best player of the 2021/22 season will also be awarded.