Afrobeats star Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, has revealed that Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior and NBA star Jaylen Brown are part of a group chat where they recently discussed visiting Nigeria.
The Grammy-winning singer made the revelation during an interview with ESPN UK, published on YouTube on Tuesday.
Burna Boy said the trio are members of what they call the “Seven group chat”, alongside other members.
“Now we have a 7 team. It’s me, Vini, and I don’t know if you know Jaylen Brown,” he said.
After the interviewer identified Brown as an NBA player, Burna Boy confirmed that the basketball star is part of the group.
Asked about the conversations in the chat, the singer said their most recent discussion focused on bringing the two sports stars to Nigeria.
“The last conversation we had is bringing all of them to Nigeria,” Burna Boy said.
Burna Boy speaks on football academy
The singer also discussed his football academy in Nigeria and explained what inspired him to establish the project.
According to Burna Boy, he became interested in developing young football talent after watching a documentary about community football in Jamaica.
He said his ambition is to help young players from the academy develop to the point where they can eventually play for major European clubs, including Manchester United.
“So I just started throwing my money at it,” Burna Boy said.
The singer also spoke about his relationships with prominent football personalities, including former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba and England captain Harry Kane.
How Burna Boy met Pogba and Kane
Burna Boy recalled meeting Pogba at his 30th birthday celebration in the United States after the former France international surprised him by arriving at his home.
He also revealed that he met Kane while attending his uncle’s birthday dinner.
According to the singer, he and others invited the England captain to join the party after encountering him at the restaurant.
“We just ran into him having dinner. And, yeah, just dragged him to the party,” he said.
Okocha is Burna Boy’s football GOAT
Burna Boy also named former Nigeria international Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha as his greatest footballer of all time.
The singer argued that the former Bolton Wanderers midfielder has not received enough recognition for his impact and ability.
“Obviously Jay-Jay Okocha, and I’ll tell you why,” Burna Boy said.
He added that Okocha deserves to be mentioned among football’s greatest legends and even argued that the Nigerian should be named ahead of Brazilian icon Ronaldinho.
“I think you should even call Jay-Jay Okocha’s name before you call Ronaldinho,” he said.
Burna Boy’s comments highlight his continued interest in football, from his academy project in Nigeria to his relationships with some of the sport’s biggest names.