Who is the best soccer player in the world right now? For years, this debate only really had one or two answers. It was either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, depending on which of these two megastars you preferred. Since 2008, there has only been one year where neither of these two players has won the Ballon d’Or, the award handed out to the world’s greatest player. This proves how dominant they have been in the sport for such a long time.
However, most fans and pundits would agree that both players are past their best. Ronaldo is 37 in a few months, while Messi recently turned 34. Neither has won the Champions League since 2018. It seems strange to say this, but for the first time in what seems like an eternity, these two era-defining players are no longer the best players in the world.
So, who is taking their place at the very top? Kylian Mbappe? Maybe Erling Haaland? Both are top players, but maybe a little young & not yet at their full potential. Robert Lewandowski? He scores incredibly regularly, but he too might have hit his peak already. Instead, we believe it is an Egyptian player who turns out for Liverpool, and for five seasons has been constantly improving. His name? Mohamed Salah.
Salah is 29 and is classed as a wide forward. He joined Liverpool in 2017, having previously played for Al Mokawloon, Basel, Chelsea, and Roma. Since joining Liverpool, he has scored 101 goals in 152, making him both incredibly popular with fans, and a household name. In his homeland of Egypt, he is treated like royalty and is the captain of their national team, proudly leading them to the 2018 World Cup.
Given how well he has started this season, let’s look over some of his standout statistics, and catch up on all the latest Mo Salah news.
Point to prove in 2021/22
Salah was a key part of Liverpool’s Champions League victory in 2019 and scored plenty of goals as they won the league for the first time in 30 years in 2020. However, he couldn’t stop his side’s decline last year, as they only finished in 3rd place, well short of champions Manchester City. He still scored 22 goals, but many pundits thought he had wasn’t playing quite so well.
Clearly, Liverpool’s poor performances and league position last season have irked Salah, and he has started this season in red hot form, looking like he is determined to win the league on his own. In 7 league games so far, he has 6 goals, as well as 3 in 2 Champions League appearances. The standout goal has to be his most recent, scored against title rivals Manchester City. With his back to goal, around 25 yards out, and with 4 or 5 players between him and the keeper, he somehow manages to jink his way past all of them, leaving the defenders chasing shadows. As he bears down on goal, he sends Aymeric Laporte left then right, cutting on to his weaker foot, before smashing it past the helpless Ederson. Goal of the season? You’d be hard-pressed to beat it.
Contract talks rumbling on
Given how well he is playing, Liverpool fans will begin to get increasingly nervous that his contract situation has yet to be fully resolved. He currently has just under two years left on his current contract, but talks are underway to have him sign a new and improved deal.
It appears not to be quite so straightforward, as Salah and his representatives want to make him one of the highest earners in the Premier League. Liverpool as a club has a wage structure in place, which prevents any player from earning too much. While this stance is sensible, surely the Liverpool owners, FSG, will see sense, and give Salah the improved deal that he so clearly deserves.
International superstar
Salah is currently away from Merseyside, playing for Egypt in their World Cup qualifiers, for the Qatar tournament that is due to take place next November. Egypt had two fixtures against Libya, in which they won 1-0 and 2-0 respectively. While Salah didn’t get on the scoresheet, he was a constant thorn in Libya’s side, punishing their defenders with darting runs in behind the full-backs.
Egypt now tops their group, with 10 points out of a possible 12, so look on course to qualify for Qatar. They play Angola and Gabon in their next qualifiers in November; two wins here will almost guarantee that Salah and co. will make it through to their second consecutive World Cup finals.
