119. George Weah
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George Weah was born in 1966 in Monrovia, Liberia and he spent 14 years of his professional football career playing for clubs in France, Italy, and England, winning titles in two of the three countries. In 1995, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year, European Footballer of the Year, and African Footballer of the Year. Weah has since become a humanitarian and politician in Liberia, and ran unsuccessfully in the 2005 Liberian presidential election. Weah is the only FIFA World Player of the Year who failed to qualify for FIFA World Cup with his national team.
At the pinnacle of success, George Weah moved to Europe in 1988 when he was signed by Arsène Wenger, then manager of Monaco, who Weah credits as an important influence on his career. At Monaco, Weah was a member of the team that won the French Cup in 1991. In the 1990s Weah subsequently played for Paris Saint Germain (1992 – 95), with whom he won the French league in 1994; and AC Milan (1995 – 1999), with whom he won the Italian league in 1996 and 1999, and became the top scorer of the UEFA Champions League 1994–95. In 1995 he was named European Footballer of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year. After leaving Milan in January 2000 George Weah moved to Chelsea, Manchester City and Olympique Marseille in quick succession, before leaving Marseille in May 2001 for Al Jazira FC, in the United Arab Emirates.
As successful as he was at club level, George Weah was not able to bring over that success to the Liberian national team. He has done everything with the squad from playing to coaching to financing it, but failed to qualify for a single World Cup, falling just a point short in qualifying for the 2002 tournament. This has all led to George Weah being known as one of the best footballers never to have played in a World Cup.
