Weah, who played for a number of huge European clubs including Paris St Germain, Chelsea, Arsenal and AC Milan, immediately took to Twitter to thank all his supporters, saying that he plans to liberate the country.

“It is with deep emotion that I want to thank you, the Liberian people, for honouring me with your vote today," he said.

"It is a great hope,” he added after clinching 12 of the 15 counties in the West African country.

The National Elections Commission said that with 98.1 per cent of ballots counted, Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change had won 61.5 per cent of the vote.

Boakai is far behind with 38.5 per cent.

Weah, 51, will therefore succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first elected female president, in Liberia's first democratic handover since 1944.

Weah's supporters have already began celebrating in the capital Monrovia.

Weah remains the only African footballer to have won the FIFA World Player of the Year and the coveted Ballon D'Or, in 1995.

His life changed when, aged 21, Arsene Wenger, the current and long-serving Arsenal manager, spotted him playing for a team in Cameroon.

The manager brought him over to Europe, where he would play for AS Monaco. From there, it was on to Paris Saint Germain, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester City and Olympique Marseille.

He entered politics after his retirement in 2002 and is currently a senator in Liberia's parliament.

His biggest challenge is undoubtedly ahead of him after vowing to bring stability to a country wracked by 15 years of civil war that has claimed around 250,000 lives.

Weah, who also won the Champions League during his career, paid special tribute to Wenger for helping him to flourish in Europe.

“When I started playing football, I never thought I would ever win the Ballon d’Or and emerge as the best player in the world,” he told Britain’s Guardian newspaper.

“I just had a passion for the game and I worked hard. 

"Every day, I would rather train than eat or sleep. 

"When I moved to Monte Carlo [to play for Monaco] I didn’t play for the first six months. 

"But I was determined to showcase my talent, to prove to those back home, who thought that my coming to Europe was a waste of time, that I was a good player. 

"He (Wenger) was a father figure and regarded me as his son. 

"This was a man, when racism was at its peak, who showed me love. 

"He wanted me to be on the pitch for him every day.”

During his campaign Weah pledged to fight corruption and promised change by creating jobs for young people in Liberia, where more than half of the population is under the age of 35. 

He also wants to alter the style of leadership and bring transparency to government policy making.

Weah lost in the 2005 election against the incumbent Johnson Sirleaf, but has steadily shaken off his reputation as a novice in the political arena. 

He has served in Liberia’s senate since 2015.