Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy has revealed that he, Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr., and Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown are part of a shared group chat, with their most recent discussion centered on arranging a trip to Nigeria for both sports stars. The singer, whose real name is Damini Ogulu, disclosed this during an interview with ESPN UK published on its YouTube channel on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
Burna Boy Details the 'Seven Group Chat' and Nigeria Visit Plans
Burna Boy described the trio's arrangement as their 'Seven group chat,' a name that references the jersey number all three reportedly share a connection to. 'Now we have a 7 team. It's me, Vini, and I don't know if you know Jaylen Brown,' Burna Boy said. When the interviewer confirmed Jaylen Brown's identity, the singer added, 'Yeah, that's our Seven group chat.' He went on to say the most recent topic in the chat was about flying both athletes out to Nigeria, though he did not provide a specific timeline for the visit.
Burna Boy's Football Academy and Sports Connections
Beyond the group chat revelation, Burna Boy spoke about his football academy in Nigeria, saying the project was inspired by a documentary he watched about community football in Jamaica. He expressed ambitions for young talents from the academy to eventually break into top clubs such as Manchester United, stating: 'So I just started throwing my money at it.' The Grammy-winning singer also touched on his friendships with other sports personalities. He recalled meeting former Manchester United and France midfielder Paul Pogba at his own 30th birthday celebrations in the United States, saying Pogba surprised him by turning up unannounced at his home. His introduction to Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane came under rather different circumstances, when both men happened to be dining in the same restaurant during his uncle's birthday dinner. 'We just ran into him having dinner. And, yeah, just dragged him to the party,' Burna Boy said.
Burna Boy Backs Okocha Over Ronaldinho as Football GOAT
Perhaps the boldest moment of the interview came when the Afrobeats star named former Super Eagles captain Austin 'Jay-Jay' Okocha as his personal football greatest of all time, arguing that the former Bolton Wanderers playmaker has been consistently overlooked in global conversations about the sport's legends. 'Obviously Jay-Jay Okocha, and I'll tell you why,' he said. 'Because I feel like he—he hasn't gotten the flowers that he deserves. You feel me? I feel like his name should be called in the leagues of, like, the—the legends' legends.' Burna Boy went further, insisting that Okocha's name deserves to be mentioned even before that of Brazilian icon Ronaldinho. 'I think you should even call Jay-Jay Okocha's name before you call Ronaldinho,' he declared.
