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The Most Famous

SOCCER PLAYERS from Ghana

This page contains a list of the greatest Ghanaian Soccer Players. The pantheon dataset contains 16,880 Soccer Players, 91 of which were born in Ghana. This makes Ghana the birth place of the 40th most number of Soccer Players behind Peru and Turkey.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Ghanaian Soccer Players of all time. This list of famous Ghanaian Soccer Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Ghanaian Soccer Players.

1. Abedi Pele (1964 - )

With an HPI of 58.98, Abedi Pele is the most famous Ghanaian Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 40 different languages on wikipedia.

Abedi Ayew ( ə-BAY-dee ə-YOO; born 5 November 1964), known professionally as Abedi Pele, is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder and who served as captain of the Ghana national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest African footballers of all time. He played for several European clubs and found his fame in the French Ligue 1 with Lille and Marseille, the latter where he won the UEFA Champions League in 1993, among other titles. He was also the first to win CAF award in 1992.

2. Marcel Desailly (1968 - )

With an HPI of 58.18, Marcel Desailly is the 2nd most famous Ghanaian Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 56 different languages.

Marcel Desailly (French pronunciation: [maʁsɛl dəzaji]; born Odenke Abbey; 7 September 1968) is a French former professional footballer, widely considered to be among the greatest centre-backs and defensive midfielders of all-time. During a successful career at club level, lasting from 1986 to 2006, Desailly won several titles, including UEFA Champions League medals with both Marseille and AC Milan, and also played for Nantes and Chelsea, among other teams. At international level, he collected 116 caps between 1993 and 2004, scoring three goals, and was a member of the France international squads that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

3. Michael Essien (1982 - )

With an HPI of 52.43, Michael Essien is the 3rd most famous Ghanaian Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 61 different languages.

Michael Kojo Essien (born 3 December 1982) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder and is currently a member of Danish Superliga club Nordsjælland's coaching staff. He was also capped for the Ghana national team more than 50 times. During his prime, Essien was considered one of the best midfielders in the world. Essien was known not only for his defensive ability, but also his knack for scoring long-range goals. Essien started his career playing for Liberty Professionals in Ghana. In 2000, he moved to France to join Bastia, where he would spend three seasons and appear in over 60 matches before joining Ligue 1 title holders Lyon in 2003. At Lyon, Essien won back-to-back league titles in 2003–04 and 2004–05, and won Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 2005. In 2005, Essien signed with Premier League side Chelsea for a £24.4 million transfer fee and, at the time of his signing, was the most expensive African footballer in history. At Chelsea, Essien helped the club win the Premier League in 2006 and 2010, as well as three FA Cups and one League Cup. He won the UEFA Champions League in 2011–12, while also placing as runner-up in the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League. He has won the Chelsea Goal of the Season award twice, in the 2006–07 and 2008–09 seasons. Essien is a former Ghanaian international. At youth level, he represented his country at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship and 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, with the latter team finishing as runner-up. Essien made his senior team debut in January 2002 and has represented his nation at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. Essien has also represented Ghana at the 2006 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.

4. Tony Yeboah (1966 - )

With an HPI of 46.16, Tony Yeboah is the 4th most famous Ghanaian Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Anthony Yeboah (born 6 June 1966) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is considered one of the most prominent and prolific goal scorers in Ghanaian and African football history and gained a reputation for scoring spectacular goals which often featured in Goal of the Month or Goal of the Season competitions, often celebrated by wagging his index finger towards the crowd. Yeboah is most noted for his time at European clubs 1. FC Saarbrücken, Eintracht Frankfurt, Leeds United and Hamburger SV during the 1990s. He also played for Asante Kotoko, Cornerstones Kumasi, Okwawu United and Al-Ittihad Doha. He was capped 59 times by Ghana, scoring 29 goals. He now runs an international sports agency and a chain of hotels in Ghana. He won the Bundesliga golden boot on two occasions in 1992–93, 1993–94 playing for Eintracht Frankfurt.

5. Samuel Kuffour (1976 - )

With an HPI of 45.74, Samuel Kuffour is the 5th most famous Ghanaian Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 33 different languages.

Samuel Osei Kuffour (born 3 September 1976) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Known for his physical power, Kuffour is best remembered for his time with Bayern Munich, whom he represented for over a decade, winning a total of 14 honours, and playing in nearly 250 official matches. Kuffour appeared with the Ghana national team in the 2006 World Cup, as well as in five Africa Cup of Nations.

6. Asamoah Gyan (1985 - )

With an HPI of 45.15, Asamoah Gyan is the 6th most famous Ghanaian Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 52 different languages.

Asamoah Gyan ( ASS-ə-MOH-ə JAHN; born 22 November 1985) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is a former captain of the Ghana national team. Gyan began his career in 2003 with Ghana Premier League club Liberty Professionals scoring ten goals in sixteen matches then spent three seasons with Serie A club Udinese via two seasons loan at Modena netting on fifteen occasions in 53 league matches and at Udinese where he scored 11 times in 39 league matches. In 2008, Gyan joined Ligue 1 club Rennes, netting fourteen times in forty-eight league matches during two seasons. In 2010, Gyan joined Premier League club Sunderland, breaking the club's transfer record and netting on ten occasions in thirty-four Premier League matches during two seasons. In 2011, Gyan joined Al Ain of the UAE Pro League on loan and became the league's top goalscorer, scoring 22 times in 18 matches. In the following season, Gyan permanently joined Al Ain and helped them retain the Pro League title, once again finishing as the league's top goalscorer with an impressive 31 goals in 22 matches. In the 2013–14 league season, Gyan finished top scorer for a record third time, with 29 goals in 26 matches. Gyan is the all-time leading goalscorer of the Ghana national team, with 51 goals. He represented Ghana at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. With 6 goals, he is the top African goalscorer in the history of the World Cup. Gyan has also represented Ghana at the 2004 Summer Olympics and in seven Africa Cup of Nations in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019, helping them finish in third-place in 2008 and runner-up in 2010 and 2015. He launched his memoir, titled "LeGYANdry" at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra. On 20 June 2023, Gyan announced his retirement from active football.

7. Sulley Muntari (1984 - )

With an HPI of 44.85, Sulley Muntari is the 7th most famous Ghanaian Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 51 different languages.

Suleyman Ali "Sulley" Muntari (born 27 August 1984) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent most of his career in Italy, playing for clubs such as Udinese, Inter Milan, and AC Milan. Spoken about as a talented footballer at a young age, Muntari started his youth career in Ghana with Liberty Professionals before joining Udinese where he progressed from their academy into becoming a first team player. He featured in over 150 matches for Udinese and scored 9 goals before securing a move to join English team Portsmouth then English Premier League. He spent only a season with the Pompey and was also part of the team that won the FA Cup in 2007–08. His performance in the Premier League and the FA Cup earned him a move to join Inter Milan in 2008. During his time with Inter Milan, he helped the team win the Champions League in 2009–10 and the Serie A title in 2008–09 and 2009–10 among other trophies. After becoming a full international in 2002, Muntari earned over 80 caps for the Ghana national team and was selected for two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and three FIFA World Cups. He was also a member of the Ghana U20 team that placed second in the African Youth Championship and FIFA U-20 World Cup both in 2001. He is the elder brother of Tambov player Sulley Muniru.

8. Stephen Appiah (1980 - )

With an HPI of 44.25, Stephen Appiah is the 8th most famous Ghanaian Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 40 different languages.

Stephen Leroy Appiah ( AP-ee-ah; born 24 December 1980) is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. During his career, he played for teams such as Udinese, Parma, Brescia, Juventus and Fenerbahçe. Appiah was a member of the Ghana national team, which he represented at youth, Olympic, and senior levels. He captained Ghana at their World Cup debut in 2006 and at the 2010 World Cup.

9. Gerald Asamoah (1978 - )

With an HPI of 42.88, Gerald Asamoah is the 9th most famous Ghanaian Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 41 different languages.

Gerald Asamoah (German pronunciation: [ˈgeːʁalt ʔazaˈmoːa]; born 3 October 1978) is a German football executive and former professional player who works as the first-team manager of Schalke 04. During his playing career, Asamoah played as a forward, and he was mainly known for his pace, his physical strength and his hard-working approach. He has bonded the most part of his career to Schalke, where he has been widely appreciated not only for his accomplishments as a player, but also for his relaxed and positive attitude and his role as a community leader off the pitch. Asamoah kept working in Gelsenkirchen after his retirement, too, as he was offered several administrative and managerial roles throughout the years.

10. Kwadwo Asamoah (1988 - )

With an HPI of 41.54, Kwadwo Asamoah is the 10th most famous Ghanaian Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 42 different languages.

Kwadwo Asamoah (, kwə-JOH ass-ə-MOH-ah; born 9 December 1988). He is a Ghanaian former professional footballer. Mainly a left midfielder or left-back. he was also occasionally deployed as a central midfielder. Asamoah began his professional career with Italian club Udinese in 2008. His consistent performances earned him a transfer to Juventus in 2012 where with his energy, versatility, and technical skills, he played a key role in helping the club to six consecutive Serie A titles between 2013 and 2018, among other titles, although his appearances at the club were limited by injuries during his later seasons. He joined Inter Milan in 2018, and Cagliari in 2021. At international level, Asamoah represented Ghana in four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, and two FIFA World Cups. Asamoah was awarded CAF Most Promising African Player in 2010 and named Ghana Player of the Year twice consecutively for 2012 and 2013. In 2013, Asamoah was ranked as the 27th best footballer in the world by Bloomberg.

People

Pantheon has 91 people classified as soccer players born between 1960 and 2002. Of these 91, 88 (96.70%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living soccer players include Abedi Pele, Marcel Desailly, and Michael Essien. The most famous deceased soccer players include Junior Agogo, Abubakari Yakubu, and Christian Atsu. As of April 2022, 9 new soccer players have been added to Pantheon including Brimah Razak, Kamaldeen Sulemana, and Enoch Kofi Adu.