In the crowded streets of Clara Town, Monrovia, a young George Manneh Oppong Weah learned to dream with nothing but a ball at his feet and determination in his heart. Raised by his grandmother, Emma Klonjlaleh Brown, he played barefoot on dusty pitches, shaping not just his skill but his resilience. “Where I come from, you learn to fight for everything,” he has often reflected. Football became his ticket to the world. From local Liberian clubs to Tonnerre Yaoundé in Cameroon, his rise was swift. A call from Arsène Wenger brought him to AS Monaco, and from there he lit up Europe — winning titles with Paris Saint-Germain, conquering Serie A with AC Milan, and redefining what was possible for an African footballer. In 1995, Weah made history as the first African to win the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year, a moment that still stands unmatched. That golden trophy is more than an award to him — it’s a symbol of pride, identity, and legacy. “I’ve told my children to never sell my Ballon d’Or, even if they go broke,” he says. “Some things are worth more than silver and gold, and my Ballon d’Or is one of them.” His children have inherited his passion for sport. George Jr. and Timothy Weah both pursued professional football, with Timothy currently playing in Italy and representing the U.S. national team. He speaks of them with the same pride he reserves for his own career, always reminding them of the values that carried him from Clara Town to the world stage.
But George Weah’s story didn’t end when he left the pitch. After retiring in 2003, he turned to politics, determined to serve the nation that had given him everything. In 2018, he was sworn in as the 24th President of Liberia, becoming the first former professional footballer to lead a country. His presidency was marked by bold symbolic gestures, like cutting his salary by 25% during economic hardship, and by an unshakable belief in the power of possibility. For him, whether in football or politics, the mission has always been the same — to inspire. “I want every boy and girl from places like Clara Town to know that their dreams are valid. If I could go from those streets to the top of the world, so can they.” From barefoot games on Liberian soil to lifting the Ballon d’Or, from San Siro nights to the Liberian presidential palace, George Weah’s journey is a testament to the fact that greatness knows no boundaries — only belief, hard work, and the will to rise.