George Weah: first African to win the Ballon d’Or

George Weah was a Liberian striker who won the Ballon d’Or in 1995. He was the first non-European player to receive the award. According to TNT Sports, he was also named FIFA World Player of the Year and African Player of the Year the same year⁴. At Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, he became known for his speed, strength and ability to cut through a defence on his own¹². His goal against Verona in 1996, after a run from one end of the pitch to the other, is among the most memorable in Milan’s history⁵.

Early life and beginnings

Weah was born on 1 October 1966 in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia⁵. He played his early football for local clubs in Liberia, then moved to the Cameroonian club Tonnerre Yaoundé¹⁸.

In 1988, Monaco coach Arsène Wenger signed the 22-year-old Weah from Tonnerre Yaoundé. According to the club, Wenger trusted his friend Claude Le Roy, then coach of the Cameroon national team, in making the decision¹.

Club career

In his first season at Monaco, Weah scored 14 goals in 23 French league matches. With him in the side, Monaco finished in the top three of the league in 1989 and 1990. In 1991 they won the French Cup, beating Marseille 1-0 in the final. For Monaco he scored 66 goals in 149 matches¹.

In 1992 he joined Paris Saint-Germain. In three seasons he scored 55 goals in 138 matches. He won the French league in 1994, the French Cup in 1993 and 1995, and the League Cup in 1995². In the 1994-95 Champions League, PSG reached the semi-finals and Weah scored seven goals, making him the competition’s top scorer³.

In 1995 he joined the Italian club AC Milan⁵. Later that year he received the Ballon d’Or. According to TNT Sports, the rules had been changed that year so that non-European players could also be included in the vote. The award was given for his performances for both PSG and Milan. Wenger later said: "Who could have thought he would win the Ballon d’Or? He was a miracle!"⁴

With Milan, Weah won the Italian league twice. On 8 September 1996, in the first match of the season against Hellas Verona at San Siro, he took the ball in his own half and ran the full length of the pitch alone to score. Milan’s official page calls it a "coast to coast" goal. For Milan he scored 58 goals in 147 matches, including 46 goals in 114 league matches⁵.

After Milan, he played briefly for Chelsea and Manchester City in England and Marseille in France. He retired from football in 2003⁴.

International career

Weah played his first match for Liberia against Burkina Faso on 23 February 1986. According to RSSSF records, from 1986 to 2002 he scored 18 goals in 74 matches for Liberia and is the country’s top scorer⁷. His last competitive match was against Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations on 28 January 2002. Nine days earlier, in the same tournament, he had scored his last international goal against Mali. His goals include one against Mexico in 2001⁶.

Style of play

Weah was a fast and powerful striker who would take the ball and go through the defence himself. Milan’s official page describes him as "an unstoppable blend of instinct, finesse and raw power". The goal against Verona is the best-known example of this style⁵. In 2014, Thierry Henry called him "one of the greatest strikers in the world"⁴.

Statistics

The figures cover all official competitions. They were taken on 20 October 2026 from the official websites of the three clubs and from RSSSF¹²⁵⁶. Figures for Chelsea, Manchester City, Marseille and Al-Jazira (United Arab Emirates) are not included in the table because they could not be confirmed from another source⁸.

Honours

• Ballon d’Or: 1995 [4][5]
• FIFA World Player of the Year: 1995 [4]
• African Player of the Year: 1995 [4]
• Italian league: twice (Milan) [5]
• French league: 1994 [2]
• French Cup: 1991 (Monaco), 1993, 1995 (PSG) [1][2]
• French League Cup: 1995 [2]
• Champions League top scorer: 1994-95, seven goals [3]

Legacy

According to TNT Sports, the 1995 Ballon d’Or was a milestone for Black and African players. As of 2022, he was the only African player to have won the award⁴. Coming from a little-known country, Weah succeeded in three of Europe’s top leagues and opened the way for many African players who followed.