The former Liverpool hitman clinched the prize at the 2022
Ballon d’Or award ceremony on Monday.
Mane, 30, is accustomed to writing headlines on the pitch,
but it's his continued efforts off it that are making the biggest difference.
The Bayern Munich forward has built a public hospital and funded schools and
families in his home village of Bambali in recent years, and also donated to
the Senegalese National Committee to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The Socrates Prize identifies the best social
initiative by committed champions," said a statement from France Football
magazine, which added the humanitarian award to the 2022 Ballon d'Or ceremony.
The accolade is named after the late footballer Socrates,
who co-founded the Corinthians Democracy movement, in opposition to the ruling
military government in 1980s Brazil.
Mane, who is the reigning African Footballer of the Year,
was also nominated for the Ballon d'Or. He scored 23 goals in his final season
as a Liverpool player whilst helping Senegal win their maiden Africa Cup of
Nations title, and has since produced nine goals and an assist in 16
competitive appearances for Bayern.
"I'm really happy to be a guest tonight," Mane
said. "Sometimes I'm a bit shy, but I'm really happy to do what I can do
for my people to make things better."