George Weah
Centre-Forward · AC Milan · Liberia
About George Weah
George Weah was the first African footballer to win the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year, both in 1995. He won Serie A twice with AC Milan (ITA) and scored a celebrated solo goal against Verona (ITA) in 1996. After retiring he entered Liberian politics and went on to lead the country.
George Weah's story
Clara Town Childhood
Born on 1 October 1966 in Monrovia, Weah was raised in the Clara Town slum by his grandmother, Emma Klonjlaleh Brown, after his parents separated. He is a member of the Kru ethnic group. Before football paid, he worked as a switchboard operator for the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation.
Wenger's Discovery
Cameroon coach Claude Le Roy recommended Weah to Arsène Wenger, who signed him for Monaco (MON) from Tonnerre Yaoundé in 1988. Weah dedicated his 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year award to Wenger. In August 2018, as president, he honoured both Wenger and Le Roy at a ceremony in Monrovia.
1995: Africa's Ballon d'Or
Weah was top scorer in the 1994-95 Champions League for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), then joined AC Milan (ITA) in 1995. That year he won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year, and was named African, European and World Player of the Year. He was the first African to win the Ballon d'Or, and as of 2026 no other African player had won it.
The Verona Run
On 8 September 1996, Weah collected the ball inside his own penalty area against Verona (ITA) while Milan defended a corner. He ran most of the length of the pitch and finished past goalkeeper Attilio Gregori in the 85th minute. It is one of Serie A's most celebrated solo goals.
From Pitch to Presidency
Weah won Liberia's 2017 presidential runoff with over 60 percent of the vote and was inaugurated on 22 January 2018. He lost the 2023 rematch to Joseph Boakai and left office in January 2024. His final international appearance came in a friendly against Nigeria on 11 September 2018, aged 51 and in office, when his number 14 shirt was retired.
Did you know?
- 🏅 Africa's best player three times (1989, 1994 and 1995), he was also named African Player of the Century in 1996.
- 🏆 On loan at Chelsea in 2000, he scored twice on the way to the FA Cup and started the final, which Chelsea won 1-0.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married to Clar Duncan since 1993, he has four children. His son Timothy plays for the United States national team, and another son, George Jr., signed for PSG.
- 🎓 He pursued a business administration degree at DeVry University in Miami before moving into politics.
- 📊 He coached the Liberia squad and funded the national side to a large extent during his playing days.
- 🌟 Pelé included him in his FIFA 100 list of the greatest living players in 2004.
- 💔 Liberia never qualified for a World Cup during his career, so the 1995 world player of the year never played at the tournament. He played at the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996 and 2002, going out in the group stage both times.
- 🤝 A UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador from 1997 (working with the agency since 1994), he backed immunisation and HIV/AIDS education in Liberia and Ghana, and received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2004 ESPY Awards for his humanitarian efforts.
- 🏫 He founded Junior Professional FC in Monrovia in 1994, a club whose members must attend school.
Honours
- Ballon d'Or: 1995, the first African winner
- FIFA World Player of the Year: 1995
- African Footballer of the Year x3: 1989, 1994, 1995
- Serie A x2: AC Milan (1996, 1999)
- Ligue 1: PSG (1993–94)
- Coupe de France x3: Monaco (1991), PSG (1993, 1995)
- Coupe de la Ligue: PSG (1995)
- FA Cup: Chelsea (2000)
- President of Liberia: 2018–2024
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