George Weah: From Football Pitch to the Presidential Palace

Football has produced some of the greatest rags-to-riches stories.

Football has produced some of the greatest rags-to-riches stories. Over the years, talented players from humble backgrounds have become rich and famous. Pele, Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. These stars started with little money but became world-famous through their football skills.

The other great thing about football is that it has done this for people from all over the world. 

One of the most interesting stories of this kind is that of George Weah’s incredible rise from the slums of Monrovia to football stardom and then to Liberian politics. A young prolific striker, who via the stadiums of prestigious teams like AS Monaco, PSG, AC Milan, Chelsea, and Manchester City, rose to reach the presidential palace in Liberia. 

But how did an unschooled boy from the most neglected part of Liberia rise to global stardom in football and then to becoming the president of Liberia? What challenges did he face, and what drove him to succeed against all odds?