In this year’s Ballon d’Or rankings, Mohamed Salah experienced his lowest placement in five years, securing the 11th position. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi claimed his eighth Golden Ball in Paris, solidifying his record as he led Argentina to World Cup victory in Qatar the previous December.

The remaining top three spots were occupied by Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

Salah, who has consistently ranked in the top ten since joining Liverpool, saw this streak come to an end. Despite being the highest-rated player from Liverpool, he was overshadowed by several Manchester City players following their successful treble season, despite his earlier assertion of being the “best in the world.”

The Egyptian forward achieved his best Ballon d’Or rankings in 2019 and 2022, finishing fifth on both occasions, with high expectations surrounding his 2022 performance.

In recent years, he has also finished in the sixth and seventh positions. While Salah has confidently declared himself as one of the game’s elite players, he emphasized that he won’t let the outcome of individual accolades define his worth.

Salah had a remarkable season in 2021/22, a year many considered his peak. Liverpool was in contention for the quadruple, eventually winning both domestic cups but narrowly missing out in the Premier League and Champions League.

His impressive goal-scoring form early in the season led Jurgen Klopp to praise him as the best player in the world, stating that Salah’s performance was outstanding.

It’s worth noting that George Weah remains the only African player to have won the Ballon d’Or, achieving this feat in 1995 while playing for AC Milan. Sadio Mane is the sole African player to reach the top three, achieving this distinction in the previous year when he finished behind the winner, Karim Benzema.

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool performance and stats

Liverpool will play the next match in Carabao Cup against AFC Bournemouth on Wednesday 1st of November in Bournemouth. The prediction is Liverpool winning the match.​