From Pitch to Parliament: Footballers who became politicians after retirement 

Ghana's all-time top scorer Asamoah Gyan's political career seems to have hit snug after announcing his disassociation from the New Patriotic Party (NPP). 

The Ghanaian, in his announcement, noted his lost desire to be involved in any politics for the time being. 

His decision affirms the narrative that footballers seldom enter politics after retirement because the field has historically not been known to be a fertile ground for footballers.

They often tend not to sway away from the sport that made them, hence launching another football-related career right after retirement.

However, a few have given politics a try and succeeded, while others continue to seek a breakthrough in the quest to have a greater impact on the development of their country.

Here are five footballers who turned politicians after retirement.

George Weah

George Weah is arguably the greatest African player ever, considering the career he had playing for some great clubs like AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and a few others.

He is a three-time African Player of the Year and the only African footballer to have won the Balon d'Or.

George Weah announced his intention to run for president in 2005, two years after his retirement.

The AC Milan Hall of Famer engaged in several humanitarian activities during his playing career.

"Baby in the Woods" Weah lost on his first attempt in 2005 to the experienced Johnson Sirleaf.

He went on to beat Sirleaf’s son Robert to become the Liberian Senate from Montserrado County in 2014.

He finally landed his desired presidential seat in 2017 when he amassed 61.54% of the vote to defeat Joseph Boakai in a run-off on the ticket of the Coalition for Democratic Change.

George Weah became the 25th Liberian President in the country's history.

Pele

Widely touted as the King of Football, Edson Ariantes, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, has a great legacy in football.

He won three World Cup trophies, the most by a footballer, and is the youngest player to score in the tournament as well as the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final.

After retirement, he served as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and a UN ambassador for ecology and the environment before becoming Brazil’s Extraordinary Minister for Sport. He left office in 2021.

Pele passed on in 2022 at age 82.

Sol Campbell

Sol Campbell, after retirement, joined the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party in 2014. He immediately announced his intention to run for office in hopes of securing 'black votes' for his party.

He was up for the party’s nomination for Mayor of London for the election in 2016 to replace Boris Johnson.

Campbell, however, failed to make the shortlist.

Sol Campbell was a highly-rated defender who spent all his career in England. He played for Tottenham, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Portsmouth, and Notts County.

He also played for the Three Lions, making 73 appearances in his 11-year international career.

Roman Pavlyuchenko

Former Tottenham Hotspur, unlike the other players on the list, tried to juggle politics and football.

A year before he secured his move to Tottenham in 2008, he helped current Russian president Vladimir Putin's party secure a seat in his hometown of Stavropol.

Romario

Romario de Souza Faria is a Brazilian great who had a successful career winning the World Cup, Copa America, FIFA Confederations Cup, and a host of club trophies playing for Barcelona, PSV, Flamengo, Vasco Da Gama, and a few others.

Just like his football career, the ex-athlete has had a successful career path in politics.

He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Congress, during the general election in 2010.

While in office, he lobbied against Brazil’s hosting of the 2014 World Cup, claiming that the event was an event for corruption and money laundering.

In 2014, he was elected to the Brazilian Senate after accumulating the most votes ever by a candidate.

He switched parties to contest for governor of Rio de Janeiro during the general elections in 2018 but came in fourth.

EE/OGB