Divine Ikubor, also known as Rema, a Nigerian singing sensation, got the unusual opportunity of performing at football’s highest award event, the 2023 Ballon d’Or, and he did not disappoint.
Rema wowed the crowd with his international hit song “Calm Down” in the presence of some of the world’s best footballers, including the record eight-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, Lionel Messi, the second runner-up of the 2023 edition of the award, Erling Haaland, and the third runner-up, Kylian Mbappe.
The 23-year-old singing star, who was born in Benin City, Edo State, wore an all-black ensemble and was accompanied by two female dancers who danced to the rhythmic tune throughout the three-minute performance.
The self-assured performer chose to seize the unusual occasion by walking down the stage to the first row of the 2,500-person Theatre du Chatelet in Paris and shaking hands with some of the game’s biggest players.
Even major names like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland extended their hands to Rema, who wasn’t distracted by the variety of outstanding football stars in front of him.
Rema, as predicted, was not star-struck as he stepped back to the stage to provide a magnificent finish to his performance and received tremendous acclaim from the star-studded audience.
During Rema’s performance, prominent American YouTuber IShowSpeed, who was in attendance, couldn’t help but jump to the rhythm of the song.
Rema resorted to Instagram after being the first Nigerian singer to play at the prestigious Ballon d’Or to post a video of the performance and express his gratitude for the chance.
He wrote: “Afrobeat in Ballon d’Or, I’m truly grateful for the opportunity. Glory to the most high for the grace.”
Watch Rema perform at the 2023 Ballon d’Or below:
