Alexandre Dimitri Song Billong (born 9 September 1987), better known as Alex Song, is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays for English club West Ham United on loan from FC Barcelona. He plays as a central or defensive midfielder, and can also play as a central defender.
Originally a utility player on the fringes of the first team, Song quickly became an integral part of Arsenal's starting eleven during the preseason to the 2008–09 campaign, resulting in a €15 million transfer to FC Barcelona in 2012.
He played for Cameroon in the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. He was called up for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations and was the only Cameroonian named in the Team of the Tournament. Song also possesses a French passport. He is the nephew of former footballer Rigobert Song.
Song was born in Douala, Cameroon and lost his father at the age of three. Since then, his cousin Rigobert Song has been like a second father and was a major influence in choosing football as a career. Unable to find a club or academy where he could hone his skills, Petit Song, as he is known in the Cameroon side, opted to move to France, joining SC Bastia at the age of 16. One of the players who inspired Song the most when he was young was Michael Essien.