SOCCER PLAYERS from Liberia

Top 6

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

1. George Weah (b. 1966)

With an HPI of 66.44, George Weah is the most famous Liberian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 83 different languages on wikipedia.

George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional footballer who served as the 25th president of Liberia from 2018 to 2024. Before his election for the presidency, Weah served as senator from Montserrado County. He played as a striker in his prolific 18-year professional football career which ended in 2003. Weah is the first African former professional footballer to become a head of state, and the only African Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year winner in history, winning both awards in 1995. He won the African Footballer of the Year 3 times and is widely considered one of the greatest strikers of all time. After beginning his career in his native Liberia, Weah spent 14 years playing for clubs in France, Italy, and England. Arsène Wenger first brought him to Europe, signing him for Monaco in 1988. Weah moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 1992 where they won Division 1 in 1994 and became the top scorer of the 1994–95 UEFA Champions League. He signed for AC Milan in 1995 where he spent four successful seasons, winning the Serie A twice. He moved to the Premier League towards the end of his career and had spells at Chelsea and Manchester City, winning the FA Cup at the former, before returning to France to play for Marseille in 2001. He ended his career with Al Jazira in 2003. FourFourTwo named Weah one of the best players never to win the UEFA Champions League. Weah represented Liberia at the international level, winning 75 caps and scoring 18 goals for his country and playing at the African Cup of Nations on two occasions. He also played in a friendly in 2018, where his number 14 jersey was retired. Regarded as one of the best players never to have played at the FIFA World Cup, Scott Murray in The Guardian refers to Weah as "hamstrung by hailing from a global minnow". Widely regarded as one of the greatest African players of all time, Weah was named FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Ballon d'Or in 1995, becoming the first and only player to win these awards while representing an African country internationally. In 1989 and 1995, he was also named the African Footballer of the Year winning the official award twice, and in 1996, he was named African Player of the Century. Known for his acceleration, speed, and dribbling ability, in addition to his goal-scoring, Weah was described by FIFA as "the precursor of the multi-functional strikers of today". In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. Weah became involved in politics in Liberia following his retirement from football. He formed the Congress for Democratic Change and ran unsuccessfully for president in the 2005 election, losing to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the second round of voting. In the 2011 election, he ran unsuccessfully for vice president alongside Winston Tubman. Weah was subsequently elected to the Senate of Liberia for Montserrado County in the 2014 election. Weah was elected President of Liberia in the 2017 election, defeating the incumbent vice president Joseph Boakai, and was sworn in on 22 January 2018. Weah was defeated in a rematch with Boakai in the 2023 election.

2. Ola John (b. 1992)

With an HPI of 33.34, Ola John is the 2nd most famous Liberian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Ola John (born 19 May 1992) is a professional footballer who plays for Al-Arabi as a left winger. Born in Liberia, he has represented the Netherlands national team. A product of FC Twente's youth system, he played with their first team from 2010 to 2012 before joining S.L. Benfica. Amid a 2014 loan to Hamburger SV for half a season, he played regularly at Benfica in the seasons of 2012–13 and 2014–15. Afterwards, he was loaned out to Reading, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Deportivo de La Coruña. After playing only one match with Benfica's reserve team in 2017–18, he moved to Vitória for the upcoming season. Internationally, John gained one cap for the Netherlands national team in 2013.

3. Sekou Oliseh (b. 1990)

With an HPI of 28.48, Sekou Oliseh is the 3rd most famous Liberian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Sekou Jabateh Oliseh (born 5 June 1990) is a Liberian former professional footballer who played as a right winger.

4. Collins John (b. 1985)

With an HPI of 26.88, Collins John is the 4th most famous Liberian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Collins John (born 17 October 1985) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. Born in Liberia, he represented the Netherlands national team. John notably played in the Premier League for Fulham where he notched up 23 goals in 111 appearances, in all competitions, in a five-year stay at Craven Cottage. He also played in the English football league for Leicester City, Watford, and Barnet, in the Eredivisie for FC Twente and NEC Nijmegen, in Belgium for K.S.V. Roeselare, the United States for Chicago Fire, Azerbaijan for Gabala FC and in Iran for Mes Sarcheshmeh F.C.

5. Alex Nimely (b. 1991)

With an HPI of 22.27, Alex Nimely is the 5th most famous Liberian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely (born 11 May 1991) is a Liberian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is the elder brother of Liberia international Sylvanus Nimely. A former England under-20 international, he accepted a call-up to play for Liberia in October 2016. He began his career with Mighty Barrolle (Liberia) and Coton de Garoua (Cameroon) before joining Manchester City in 2008. He spent six years at the club but only played one Premier League game, and instead spent time on loan at Middlesbrough, Coventry City, and Crystal Palace. He signed with Port Vale for a short and unhappy spell in November 2014. After a year away from the game, he signed with Romanian club Poli Timișoara in February 2016. He moved on to Viitorul Constanța in July 2016 before signing with Norwegian side Stabæk in April 2017. He moved to Finland in February 2018 to play for Honka. He returned to England to sign for Kettering Town in August 2019.

6. Darlington Nagbe (b. 1990)

With an HPI of 19.19, Darlington Nagbe is the 6th most famous Liberian Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Darlington Joephillip Nagbe (born July 19, 1990) is a professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for and captains Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew. Born in Liberia, he played for the United States national team. Nagbe spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Portland Timbers, winning the MLS Cup with the club in 2015, before being acquired by Atlanta United FC at the conclusion of the 2017 season, where he would go on to win a second MLS Cup, a U.S. Open Cup trophy, and the Campeones Cup. at the end of the 2019 season, he was traded to the Columbus Crew, where he would win two more MLS Cup titles, as well as an additional Campeones Cup. Nagbe made his international debut in November 2015, appearing for the United States in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match. He went on to earn 25 caps for the national team, winning the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup during his tenure.