“For me he is the best, I see him every day, that maybe makes it easier for me, but there’s [Robert] Lewandowski out there, [Cristiano] Ronaldo still scoring like crazy and [Lionel] Messi still scoring on a world-class level.
“But at this moment he is for sure on top of that list.”
Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool manager.
Who is the best player in the world? For the last two or three seasons, a sizeable chunk of the Liverpool fanbase would say it is Mohamed Salah. But, the Egyptian’s incredible form has forced more and more people to believe that he truly is the best player in the world right now, surpassing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who had been the sole contenders of the best player of the world crown for more than a decade.
Liverpool bought Mohamed Salah for £35 million in 2017 from Roma, and he was an instant hit. Since his debut, the forward has had 193 goal involvements for the Merseyside outfit thus far in only 216 appearances. In hindsight, Roma representatives must regret letting go of a player of such calibre for such a modest fee.
Salah has kept on pushing bar the higher throughout his Liverpool career, and now we believe, he has escalated to him at a level above everyone else.
Considering overall career, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will be miles ahead of Salah, both in terms of personal accolades and silverware. But, both of them are on the wrong side of their thirties and quite naturally are going through a slow decline. While their returns are still impressive compared to their age, they are not up there for the best player debate in the world anymore.
Winning the Copa America with Argentina last season, might lead Messi to winning his seventh Ballon d’Or. But, that should not overshadow Salah’s incredible consistency and individual brilliance.
The 29-year-old has scored 15 goals and assisted 6 for Liverpool this season, and has scored in 8 of Liverpool’s last 10 matches. He is not just scoring goals to make up the numbers, he is scoring Puskas Award-worthy goals on a regular basis.
Against Watford, he ran through a crowd of defenders and beat the goalkeeper from a difficult angle. For most footballers, that would have been a once in a season or once in a lifetime experience. But, Salah is no ordinary footballer!
So, he recreated the goal the very next week against Premier League title rivals Manchester City. He manufactured a goal out of nowhere as he left a trail of defenders behind, sprinted into the Man City box, online casinos and put the ball well out of Ederson’s reach and into the net.
Salah’s entire Liverpool tenure has been characterized by such maestro moments. And what makes him even more exceptional is his fitness. He has missed only seven Premier League matches for Liverpool, which is an incredible record.
Salah is a player who delivers in the highest of occasions. Last season, his goals won 17 points for Liverpool. This season, he has scored a hat-trick at Old Trafford and also found the net against Manchester City and Chelsea.
Mohamed Salah is operating at an exceptionally high level at the moment that sets him apart any other player in the world. As of now, Mohamed Salah is indeed the best footballer in the world.
