The Liberia national football team, nicknamed the Lone Stars, represents the country in men's international football and is famously linked to George Weah, the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year—yet the squad has never qualified for a FIFA World Cup and has only reached the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) twice, in 1996 and 2002. Their first World Cup qualifying attempt in 1966 ended in protest when African nations boycotted due to a lack of allocated spots, while later campaigns in the 1980s and 1990s often ended in early eliminations or withdrawals, such as during the First Liberian Civil War in 1992. In their AFCON debut in 1996, led by captain Weah, they won their opening match against Gabon but exited in the group stage on goal difference, and in 2002, they again fell short after drawing with Mali and Algeria before a narrow 1–0 loss to Nigeria. Despite flashes of promise—like a 2000 qualifying campaign that ended behind Algeria only on goal difference—the team has consistently struggled to build on its potential. Ultimately, Liberia's football story is one of extraordinary individual talent, epitomized by Weah's global acclaim, contrasted with persistent underachievement on the continental and world stage.