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Afrobeats is represented as Adekunle Gold attends the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris
Paris lit up with glamour and footballing excellence on Monday, September 22, 2025, as the Théâtre du Châtelet hosted the 69th edition of the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
While the night was dedicated to the world’s finest footballers, Afrobeats also enjoyed a shining moment on the global stage courtesy of Nigerian superstar Adekunle Gold, popularly known as AG Baby.
The award-winning singer turned heads on the red carpet, dressed in a sleek black tuxedo as he mingled with global stars. Cameras captured him sharing warm greetings with Liverpool captain and Ballon d’Or nominee Virgil van Dijk, adding a touch of Afrobeats flavor to one of football’s biggest nights.
This year’s prize was billed as a fierce battle between Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé and Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal, but Adekunle Gold’s presence added a cultural twist, continuing Afrobeats’ growing relationship with global football.
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For many, his appearance revived memories of Rema’s historic performance at the 2023 Ballon d’Or, which made him the first African artist to perform at the prestigious event. Now, Adekunle Gold carries that torch forward, reaffirming Afrobeats’ rising profile on the world stage.
The singer’s Ballon d’Or outing comes just weeks after he thrilled over 200,000 fans in Bucharest, Romania, with a headline performance at the international Gumball 3000 lifestyle and motorsport festival.
Adekunle Gold is also preparing for the release of his highly anticipated sixth studio album, Fuji, due on October 3, 2025. Speaking about the project in a recent interview, he revealed that it is deeply rooted in Fuji music and Yoruba culture, genres that shaped his sound and identity.
From the Bucharest stage to the Ballon d’Or spotlight, AG Baby is not just building momentum for his upcoming album he’s cementing Afrobeats’ presence on the global cultural calendar.
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