Mohamed Salah Finishes 11th in Ballon d’Or Rankings Despite Outstanding Season
Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah has finished in 11th position for this year’s Ballon d’Or, with the Egyptian overlooked at the top of the pile once again. The annual ceremony took place on Monday evening in Paris, with Salah the only Reds player named on the 30-man shortlist.
It is the fifth year the 31-year-old has been up for the award – it is as long as he has been at Anfield, having shown remarkable levels of consistency for the club. Now, the Ballon d’Or is not the most accurate of awards, though it is regarded as the most prestigious individual honour that can be bestowed upon a player. It is voted for by journalists, national team coaches and captains and Salah finished in 11th place for 2023, with Lionel Messi collecting the award for the eighth time.
Incredibly, Salah has never placed inside the top three for the Ballon d’Or, with fifth his highest finish in both 2019 and 2022 – a nod to how he is underappreciated away from Anfield. For only the second time, the award has been based on the results of the season instead of the calendar year, during which time Salah scored 30 times and set up another 16 for the Reds. As a team, 2022/23 was a season to forget, but the Egyptian ended the campaign with more than 30 goal contributions for a sixth season in a row.
The Last Liverpool Player to Win Ballon d’Or
The last Liverpool player to win the award was Michael Owen in 2001, while Virgil van Dijk (2019) and Sadio Mane (2022) have both finished as runners-up. Fans have reacted to Salah’s questionable position in the standings, with many expressing disbelief that there are 10 better players in the world than him.
Salah’s Unparalleled Consistency
Salah has been a consistent performer for Liverpool since joining in 2017. He has scored over 20 goals in each of his five seasons at Anfield and has been involved in more goals than any other Premier League player since his debut. His 45 goal contributions in 2022/23 was the third highest total behind Mbappe and Haaland, yet he still finished 11th in the Ballon d’Or rankings.
Conclusion
It is clear that Mohamed Salah is one of the most underrated players in world football and his consistent performances for Liverpool have gone largely unrecognized. He has been a key player for the Reds since joining in 2017 and his 45 goal contributions in 2022/23 was an outstanding achievement. Hopefully Salah will be given more recognition in years to come and will be able to add a Ballon d’Or to his collection before he leaves Anfield.