The omission of Mohamed Salah from this year's Ballon d'Or 30-man shortlist serves as a stark reminder of how the Liverpool forward's talents are often overlooked in soccer.
Despite a strong start to the new season, Salah was conspicuously absent from the list of nominees for the 2024 Ballon d'Or. This marks the first time he has been completely snubbed for the award since joining the Reds in the summer of 2017.
While his performance last season may not have been his best, Salah still managed an impressive tally of 25 goals and 14 assists. However, this wasn't enough to secure him a spot on the final list of contenders for the prestigious award.
Interestingly, Ukrainian forward Artem Dovbyk, who scored the same number of goals as Salah but provided fewer assists, made it onto the 30-man shortlist. Martin Odegaard also secured a spot, despite a less than stellar season with Arsenal.
Perhaps the fact that Liverpool's No. 11 consistently performs at such a high level has become his greatest disadvantage. Since his arrival at the club, Salah has set incredibly high standards, particularly during his debut season when he scored 44 goals and provided 15 assists in 52 appearances. This remarkable performance earned him sixth place in the 2018 Ballon d'Or rankings.
In 2019, he outdid himself by finishing fifth after aiding Liverpool to Champions League victory and ending the 2018/19 season as joint top-scorer with Sadio Mane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. His ranking was affected by Egypt's early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations at the hands of South Africa.
The award wasn't given in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but Robert Lewandowski was tipped to win. Salah would likely have been a strong contender after helping Liverpool secure their long-awaited Premier League title.
He came seventh in 2021, with Lionel Messi once again taking the top spot. The ex-Chelsea player climbed back up to fifth in 2022 after helping Liverpool achieve a domestic double and reach the Champions League final, scoring 31 goals and providing 15 assists.
However, he slipped down the rankings to 11th last year following Liverpool's disappointing 2022/23 season, which saw them finish fifth in the Premier League without any silverware. Despite this, Salah still contributed an impressive 46 goals in 51 games.
For the first time since 2003, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi are contenders for the Ballon d'Or. Yet, even without these two football giants in the mix, Salah's chances of winning this individual accolade seem to be dwindling.
The fact that Mo Salah isn't currently considered among the top 30 footballers worldwide is a tough pill to swallow for many, especially Liverpool supporters who are used to seeing their star player's accomplishments understated. With Salah already ranking tenth in the Premier League's all-time top scorers list, just 15 goals shy of Thierry Henry's record, and fifth in Liverpool's own records, it seems he may never fully receive the recognition his consistent high-level performances warrant.
Local News
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