George Weah says that winning the Ballon d’Or award himself and Liberia on the map.
Widely considered as one of the greatest players to come from the African continent,Weah became the first player from Africa to win the Ballon d’Or award and become crowned as the best player in the world. The award has an illustrious history of celebrating the best in the world, andWeah proved that even African players can compete on this level. In his playing days, he was widely known for his time with AC Milan. His solitary Ballon d’Or award came in 1995 after he had contributed immensely to AC Milan’s success in the domestic competitions.
Weah retired about having won the Champions League or any other European honour. However, he has no worries or regrets from his career. Now, Weah has been able to forge a career in politics as a result of his immense popularity in his home country of Liberia.
Several other players have tried to follow in the steps ofWeah, with only the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba, and Yaya Toure coming the closest. Yet, no other African player has been able to win the Ballon d’Or award afterWeah.
“When I started out, my dream was to play professional football. That was my dream. I did not dream of winning the Ballon d’Or or FIFA Player of the Year award. I wanted to play professionally and achieve as much as I could.It was really about the love for the game. But then of course winning the awards was very special. I think it was recognition for all the work that I put in during my career. And I was particularly proud because I think it was important for my country. They celebrated with me and it put Liberia on the map,” said Weah.
