Players · Updated 2026-10-19
Has an African player ever won the Ballon d'Or?
Short answer
Yes. George Weah of Liberia won the Ballon d'Or in 1995 while playing for AC Milan, becoming the first African winner. He was also named FIFA World Player of the Year that year and later became President of Liberia.
Weah won in the first year the award was opened to non-European players. Several African stars have finished on the podium since; check the latest ceremony results for recent editions.
People also ask
Who is the most famous African footballer?
By global coverage, Mohamed Salah (Egypt) is the most famous African footballer: Wikipedia has articles about him in 104 languages, followed by George Weah and Didier Drogba. Read more →
Who is Africa's all-time top international goalscorer?
Portia Modise is the highest international goalscorer among African players on record, with 101 goals in 124 matches for South Africa. Luciano Vassallo (Ethiopia, 99) is next. Read more →
Answers are generated from our database of international results, Wikidata player records and other open sources, and refresh automatically. See our methodology.