George Weah, the only African player to win the Ballon d'Or | OneFootball

George Weah, Africa's sole Ballon d'Or winner

George Weah/@goal

He stands alone in the world... George Weah accomplished a feat that has never been repeated and is unlikely to be matched anytime soon.

Indeed, the Liberian is the only African player to have lifted the Ballon d'Or, the award given to the best footballer of the year since its inception in 1956.

The former striker for AC Milan, PSG, and OM claimed this prestigious prize in 1995, the year he transferred from the French capital to Italy.

The former Liberian international (75 caps, 18 goals) was also named African Player of the Year in 1995, after previously winning in 1989 and 1994. He managed to qualify his country for the Africa Cup of Nations finals for the first time in its history in 1996.

The Monrovia native, who later became president of Liberia, etched his name alongside past legends who have hoisted the trophy, such as Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, and Marco van Basten, as well as modern icons like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Andriy Shevchenko.

Another African player came close to matching George Weah's achievement—Sadio Mané. However, the Senegalese star finished second (12.97%), behind Karim Benzema (36.90%).