In this year’s Ballon d’Or ranking, Mohamed Salah achieved his lowest position in five years, finishing 11th. The prestigious Golden Ball was awarded to Lionel Messi for an unprecedented eighth time in Paris, where he further extended his record, notably after leading Argentina to World Cup victory in Qatar last December. Messi solidified his lead over his competitors, with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe rounding out the top three.
Salah, who has consistently secured a place in the top ten since joining Liverpool, saw his streak end this year. While he was the highest-ranked player from Liverpool, several Manchester City players outperformed him due to their treble success. Despite previously declaring himself as the “best in the world,” Salah couldn’t secure a higher position.
Salah’s best Ballon d’Or finishes were fifth place, which he achieved twice, in 2019 and in 2022 when many considered him a contender for the award. He has also finished sixth and seventh in recent years. Nevertheless, he maintains a firm belief in his abilities, stating that he considers himself one of the top players in the world, but he won’t let his identity be defined by winning or not winning individual awards.
He previously expressed, “At the end of the day, it’s people’s opinions, but in my mind, I’m the best player in the world, that’s what I say to myself. I can’t say that I don’t want to win the Ballon d’Or or FIFA’s The Best, of course, I want to win either of them. But if I don’t win either of them, there is no problem. Everything I want, I usually get. I know that I will win either of them later, I’m not worried.”
Salah’s exceptional season, according to many, was during the 2021/22 season. Liverpool was on track for a quadruple, ultimately securing victories in both domestic cups but narrowly missing out in the Premier League and Champions League. Salah displayed remarkable scoring form early in the season, leading Jurgen Klopp to describe him as the best in the world.
Notably, the only African to have ever won the Ballon d’Or is George Weah, who achieved this feat in 1995 while playing for AC Milan. Sadio Mane is the sole player from Africa to reach the top three, which he did last year when he finished behind the winner, Karim Benzema.