*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:31, 22 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:00, 11 October 2024 (UTC)
Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly (Egyptian Arabic: محمد صلاح حامد محروس غالي, pronounced[mæˈħam.mædsˤɑˈlɑːħˈɣæːli];[4] born 15 June 1992), known as Mohamed Salah or Mo Salah, is an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a right winger or forward for Liverpool and captains the Egypt national team. Widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation, one of the greatest African players of all time and one of the greatest wingers in the history of the sport, he is known for his clinical finishing, dribbling, speed, and playmaking abilities.[5][6][7][8][9][10]
Salah began his senior career in 2010 at Al Mokawloon, departing in 2012 to join Basel, where he won two Swiss Super League titles. In 2014, he joined Chelsea for a reported fee of £11 million, but limited gametime led to successive loans to Fiorentina and Roma, who later signed him permanently for €15 million. In the 2016–17 season, Salah was a key figure in Roma's unsuccessful title bid, reaching double figures in both goals and assists. In 2017, Salah moved to Liverpool for £36.9 million, a club record at the time. In his first season, he set the record for most Premier League goals scored (32) in a 38-game season and helped Liverpool to the 2018 UEFA Champions League final. Having formed a formidable attacking trio with Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané, Salah went on to be an integral player in the club's Champions League and Premier League title successes in the following two seasons. He has since also won the FA Cup, EFL Cup, FA Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Salah is regarded as a symbol of national pride in Egypt for his achievements[11][12] and was named in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in 2019.[13] Salah has also been credited for raising the profile of Liverpool among Egyptians.[14][15] To Egyptians, Salah is known as the "Fourth Pyramid".[16][17] Favoured across the Arab world, Salah is often known as the "Pride of the Arabs".[18][19]
Club career
Al Mokawloon
Salah started out playing for the youth setups of local teams Ittihad Basyoun and Othmason Tanta.[20] He names Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Francesco Totti as his childhood idols.[21] In 2006, he joined the youth team of Al Mokawloon Al Arab aged 14 after being spotted by a scout who had originally come to watch another child play but was distracted by Salah.[22][23] Salah frequently had to miss school to make the three-hour journey to training.[21] When Salah was 15 he was noticed by then first-team manager Mohamed Radwan, who moved him to the first-team squad immediately. Salah had to be given a special diet and training program due to his muscles not being fully formed because of his young age.[24]
Salah made his first-team debut on 3 May 2010 in the Egyptian Premier League, coming on as a substitute in a 1–1 away draw against El Mansoura.[citation needed] During the 2010–11 season Salah continued earning minutes on the pitch, eventually becoming a regular in the team.[22] Even though he was getting regular game time, Salah struggled to score. In the dressing room after matches he would sometimes be in tears because of this, and Radwan says it only motivated him to become better.[23] He scored his first goal for them on 25 December 2010 in a 1–1 away draw against Al Ahly.[25] He remained a regular for Al Mokawloon, appearing in every game of the 2011–12 season.[26][27] Following the Port Said Stadium riot on 1 February 2012, the Egyptian Premier League was suspended, and on 10 March, the Egyptian Football Association announced their decision to cancel the remainder of the season.[28]
Basel
2012–2013: Development and breakthrough
Salah playing for Basel away at Zenit St Petersburg in the UEFA Europa League in March 2013
Swiss Super League club Basel had been monitoring Salah for some time,[29] so following the Egyptian Premier League suspension, the club organised a friendly match with the Egypt national under-23 team.[30] The match took place on 16 March at the Stadion Rankhof in Basel, and despite only playing the second half, Salah scored twice, helping the Egyptians to a 4–3 win.[31] Basel subsequently invited Salah to remain in the city for a week's training. On 10 April 2012, it was announced that Salah had signed for Basel on a four-year contract starting from 15 June 2012.[32][33][34] He initially found it difficult to settle, having arrived unable to speak the language and been signed as a replacement for Xherdan Shaqiri.[35] Salah scored on his unofficial debut on 23 June 2012 against FCSB during a friendly match, a 4–2 defeat.[36] He made his official Basel debut in a UEFA Champions League preliminary stage match against the Norwegian club Molde on 8 August, coming on as a substitute in the 74th minute.[37] He made his league debut on 12 August against Thun, playing the full match.[38]
He scored his first league goal a week later, the second goal in the 2–0 home win against Lausanne-Sport.[39] Salah scored his first UEFA Europa League goal in the quarter-finals on 11 April 2013, as Basel advanced to the semi-finals by beating Tottenham Hotspur 4–1 in a penalty shoot-out after a 4–4 aggregate draw.[40] In the semi-final on 2 May, Salah scored away to Chelsea, although Basel were beaten 5–2 on aggregate.[41] Despite late disappointment in Europe, Basel won the 2012–13 Swiss Super League title[42] and finished runners-up in the Swiss Cup.[43]
2013–2014: Final season and league championship
Ahead of the 2013–14 Swiss Super League season, Salah was a member of the Basel team that won the 2013 Uhrencup.[44] Salah scored in his first league appearance of the season against Aarau on 13 July 2013.[45] He scored his first Champions League goal a month later against Maccabi Tel Aviv on 6 August 2013 in the third qualifying round.[46] Salah was the subject of major controversy following the game, after he appeared to deliberately avoid shaking hands with the players of the Israeli club in both the home and away legs.[47]
He scored twice against the Bulgarian league champions PFC Ludogorets Razgrad on 21 August 2013 in the play-off round.[48] On 18 September 2013, Salah scored the equaliser against Chelsea in the 2–1 away win during the group stage. During the return tie on 26 November at the St. Jakob-Park, Salah scored the winning goal as Basel beat Chelsea for the second time with a 1–0 home win.[49] However he was unable to prevent Basel being eliminated in the group stage.[50]
On the domestic stage, Salah continued to perform. Scoring 4 goals in 18 games,[51] including a double against title rivals Young Boys,[52] he helped Basel win the league title for the fifth time in a row.[53]
On 23 January 2014, it was announced that Salah would leave Basel.[54] During his time with the club, Salah played a total of 95 games for Basel scoring a total of 21 goals. 47 of these games were in the Swiss Super League, six in the Swiss Cup, 26 in the UEFA competitions (Champions League and Europa League) and 16 were friendly games. He scored nine goals in the domestic league, four in the cup, seven in the European games and the other was scored during the test games.[55]
Chelsea
2014: Entry into first-team squad
On 23 January 2014, Premier League club Chelsea announced that a deal had been agreed with Basel to sign Salah for a fee reported to be in the region of £11 million.[56] Three days later the transfer was completed, making him the first Egyptian to sign for the London-based club.[57]Liverpool had been interested in Salah, and had made an offer of £11 million but were beaten to his signature by Chelsea.[58]
On 8 February, Salah made his debut for Chelsea in the Premier League, coming on as a substitute in the 3–0 win over Newcastle United.[59] Seven games later, on 22 March, Salah scored his first goal for Chelsea against Arsenal in the London Derby, coming on as a substitute for Oscar, in a match which ended as a 6–0 home win.[60] Then, on 5 April, Salah opened the scoring and later won a penalty and assisted the third goal in Chelsea's 3–0 win over Stoke City.[61]
Before the 2014–15 season, Salah's future with Chelsea looked to be in doubt after reports suggested he could be forced to return to Egypt to carry out military service after his registration for an education scheme was rescinded by the Egyptian Minister of Higher Education.[62] He was spared of military service after a meeting with the then Egyptian prime minister Ibrahim Mahlab, the Minister of Higher Education, and the Egypt national team manager Shawky Gharieb.[63] Salah changed squad numbers from 15 to 17 for the start of the season, with his new number having been vacated by Eden Hazard changing to number 10.[64]
Salah was rarely used during the season, making just three Premier League, two Champions League and three cup appearances, failing to score in any of them. On 28 October 2014, after a poor performance in a 2–1 win away League Two team Shrewsbury Town in the fourth round of the League Cup, he and fellow winger André Schürrle were criticised publicly by manager José Mourinho.[65] Although Salah only made three league appearances before his loan move to Fiorentina, Mourinho stated that he would receive a replica winner's medal from the club for his contributions that season.[66]
On the transfer deadline day, 2 February 2015, Chelsea confirmed that Salah would join Italian club Fiorentina on an 18-month loan until the end of the 2015–16 season, as part of a transfer deal which saw Juan Cuadrado moving in the opposite direction. Six days after signing, he made his debut coming off the bench in the 65th minute as a replacement for Joaquín in a 3–2 home victory against Atalanta in Serie A.[67] Salah chose the number 74 shirt in honour of the victims of the Port Said Stadium riot.[68][69][70]
Salah made his first start for Fiorentina on 14 February against Sassuolo, scoring his first goal for the club in the 30th minute. He then provided an assist to Khouma Babacar just two minutes after scoring; the match ended in a 3–1 win for Fiorentina.[71] Twelve days later, Salah scored his first European goal for Fiorentina, as his side advanced to the round of sixteen of the Europa League, beating Tottenham 3–1 on aggregate.[72][73] Salah scored the winning goal for Fiorentina against Inter Milan on 1 March, his third goal in Serie A.[74] Four days after that, Salah scored both of Fiorentina's goals in their 2–1 win away to Juventus in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg.[75] At the end of the season, Fiorentina activated an option to make the loan move permanent, but Salah refused the move. Even though the loan agreement was for 18 months, Salah refused to return to Fiorentina and instead joined fellow Serie A club Roma.[76][77] On 11 September, Fiorentina filed a complaint to FIFA, claiming that Chelsea had breached the agreed contract when they allowed Salah to join Roma on loan.[78] The Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared Salah and Chelsea of any wrongdoing.[79]
2015–2016: Loan to Roma
On 6 August 2015, Salah joined Roma on a season-long loan for €5 million; with the option to make the deal permanent,[80][81] for a reported €15 million.[82] He wore the number 11 shirt.[83] He made his debut on 22 August, as the new season began with a 1–1 draw away Hellas Verona.[84] On 20 September, Salah scored his first goal of the season against Sassuolo to help Roma salvage a point as the match ended in a 2–2 draw.[85] He went on to score in his following two matches, a 2–1 loss against Sampdoria and a 5–1 win against Carpi.[86][87] On 25 October, Salah scored the opener against his former club Fiorentina in a 2–1 away victory to help earn a fourth straight league win for Roma. On his return, Salah was also sent off after picking up a second yellow in the closing minutes of the match, just seconds after picking up his first yellow.[88][89] On 4 November, he scored the opening goal of a 3–2 Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen.[90]
On 4 March, he faced his former side Fiorentina again and scored another double as Roma won 4–1 and broke into the top three.[91] Salah would go onto score another three goals that season, scoring against Bologna, Genoa, and AC Milan, the latter on the final day.[92][93][94] In the 2015–16 season, Salah scored 15 goals in 42 matches as Roma finished in third place in Serie A and qualified for the Champions League.[95] In June, it was announced that Salah won the club's 2015–16 Player of the Season award.[96]
Roma
2016–2017: Permanent transfer, Serie A runner-up
On 3 August 2016, Roma announced the signing of Salah on a permanent deal for €15 million.[97][98] He scored his first goal of the season in a 4–0 win over Udinese in the opening game of the season on 20 August.[99] On 6 November, Salah scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Bologna, his first club career hat-trick.[100] However, a ruptured ankle ligament kept him out for the first half of December.[101] He returned as a half-time substitute in a 1–0 defeat against title rivals Juventus on 17 December.[102] Salah then endured a two-month period without a goal, he broke his drought on 19 February, scoring against Torino in a 4–1 win.[103] On 9 March, he scored Roma's opening goal in an eventual 4–2 defeat to Lyon in the first leg of the round of sixteen in the 2016–17 Europa League.[104] Despite winning the second leg 2–1, they were unable to turn the tie around and were knocked out 5–4 on aggregate.[105] On 28 May, in the final game of the season, Salah was substituted for captain Francesco Totti, who was playing his final game with the club, in a 3–2 win over Genoa.[106][107] Roma finished the season in second, just four points behind champions Juventus.[108] Salah scored 19 goals in all competitions.[109]
On 22 June 2017, Salah agreed a transfer to Premier League club Liverpool. He signed a long-term contract with the Reds for an initial £36.5m fee that could rise to £43m.[110] The fee was a club record, eclipsing the £35m spent on Andy Carroll in 2011.[111] He was assigned the number 11 shirt previously worn by Roberto Firmino who instead switched to number 9.[112] He joined the club on 1 July upon the opening of the summer transfer window, becoming Liverpool's first Egyptian player.[113] He scored on his Premier League debut against Watford in a 3–3 away draw on 12 August.[114] On 24 August, Salah scored his second goal for Liverpool, in a 2017–18 Champions League play-off round 4–2 win (6–3 agg) against 1899 Hoffenheim, his first goal at Anfield.[115] Three days later, Salah scored and assisted a goal in a 4–0 victory over Arsenal.[116] For his performances in August, Salah was awarded Player of the Month by Liverpool supporters.[117] On 17 October, Salah netted twice in a 7–0 Champions League win over Maribor, helping Liverpool to the joint-largest ever away win in the competition, and the largest away win by an English club.[118]
“What a season. And more to come in the Champions League and World Cup. It's been great to watch you.”
— Pelé to Salah on his record-breaking 2017–18 season.[119]
On 26 November 2017, Salah scored the opener and refused to celebrate in a 1–1 home draw with his former team Chelsea out of respect for the club as well as victims of the Sinai Mosque attack two days earlier.[120] Salah rose the top of the Premier League goalscoring charts by scoring twice after coming on as a substitute away at Stoke City on 29 November in a 3–0 win.[121] The following month, Salah netted in a 4–0 win over AFC Bournemouth; a result which saw Liverpool become the first team in Premier League history to win four consecutive away league matches by a margin of at least three goals.[122] In the process, he also became the joint-second fastest player to reach 20 goals for Liverpool on his 26th appearance, behind George Allan who reached the milestone in 19 appearances in 1895.[123] On 17 March 2018, Salah scored four goals in a 5–0 win over Watford, which was his first hat-trick for Liverpool. In this game, he also broke a record of scoring 36 times in his debut season for Liverpool, and also became the leading goalscorer in Europe's top five leagues – overtaking Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Tottenham striker Harry Kane. Following Salah's record-breaking goal exploits former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard stated "we are witnessing the start of greatness".[124]
In early April 2018, he scored in both Champions League quarter-final matches against Manchester City to help his side advance.[125] On 22 April 2018, Salah was awarded the PFA Players' Player of the Year award,[126] having earlier been named in the PFA Team of the Year for the Premier League.[127] Two days later, he scored a brace in a 5–2 Champions League semi-final first leg win over former club, Roma. In doing so, he simultaneously became the first player from Africa and the first Liverpool player to score 10 goals in a single campaign in the tournament. His double also took him to 43 goals for the season across all competitions, surpassing Roger Hunt's tally of 42, and making him Liverpool's second-highest goalscorer in a single season, behind Ian Rush.[128] He had previously also broken the club's record for the Premier League era, surpassing Robbie Fowler's total of 36 goals set in the 1995–96 campaign, and Fernando Torres' record of 33 for the most goals by a Liverpool player in a debut season.[129] After his two goals and assists in the first leg against Roma, Salah featured in the second leg as Liverpool beat Roma 7–6 on aggregate to qualify for the final for the first time in eleven years.[130] He would then become the Premier League's all-time goalscorer for a 38-game season, registering his 32nd league goal in a 4–0 win against Brighton & Hove Albion en route to being awarded the Premier League Golden Boot.[131]
In the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid, Salah injured his left shoulder in the 30th minute after a challenge by Madrid defender Sergio Ramos.[132] After initially carrying on, he left the field in tears after going to ground again;[133] the match ended in a 3–1 defeat. The Egyptian FA stated that this would have no effect on his availability for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and that Salah would still be named in the team's final squad on 4 June.[134] The day after the match, Ramos wrote a message and sent him good wishes.[135]
2018–2019: European champion and second Golden Boot
Salah during a warm-up ahead of a pre-season match on 7 August 2018
On 3 December, Salah was ranked in sixth place at the 2018 Ballon d'Or ceremony, as a recognition for his performances with club and country throughout 2018.[151] On 8 December, Salah scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 away win over Bournemouth, to move Liverpool to the top of the league table.[152] Three days later, he scored the winning goal in a 1–0 win over Napoli in their final Champions League group fixture, the result qualifying Liverpool to the round of sixteen.[153] On 19 January 2019, he scored his 50th Premier League goal with a brace in a 4–3 win over Crystal Palace, reaching the tally in 72 appearances. In doing so, he became the joint-fourth fastest player to achieve the milestone, alongside Fernando Torres, and behind only Andy Cole, Alan Shearer and Ruud van Nistelrooy.[154]
Salah at the Champions League trophy parade in Liverpool on 2 June 2019, the day after the final
In February 2019, West Ham said they were investigating a video which allegedly showed fans racially abusing Salah, including for being Muslim.[155] The investigation resulted in the fan being banned for three years.[156] On 5 April, he scored his 50th Premier League goal for Liverpool in a 3–1 win over Southampton and in the process broke Torres' record to become the fastest player to reach the milestone for the club, doing so in his 69th appearance.[157] It also saw him become the third fastest player to reach the milestone for a single club in the Premier League era, behind Shearer for Blackburn Rovers, in 66
"I have sacrificed a lot for my career, to come from a village to go to Cairo, and to be an Egyptian at this level is unbelievable for me."
appearances, and Van Nistelrooy for Manchester United, in 68 appearances.[159] Later that month, he scored the second goal, a powerful strike from 25 yards out that flew into the top corner, in a 2–0 win over Chelsea which helped Liverpool earn a club-record-equaling 26th win for the Premier League campaign; and the club's second-highest ever wins return in the top flight after the record of 30 set in 1979.[160] On 26 April, he made his 100th appearance for Liverpool and broke the record jointly held by Roger Hunt and Sam Raybould for the player with the most goals in his first century of appearances for the club, netting twice in a 5–0 win over Huddersfield Town to take his tally to 69.[161]
On 1 June, after missing the semi-final due to injury, Salah scored Liverpool's first goal in a 2–0 win over Tottenham in the 2019 Champions League final from a penalty.[162] Salah's goal, which he scored in the opening two minutes of the match, was the second fastest goal ever scored in a Champions League final, slower only than Paolo Maldini's effort for AC Milan against Liverpool in the 2005 final.[163] In September 2019, Salah was nominated for the FIFA FIFPro World11 award by worldwide players’ union, FIFPro, and FIFA as one among 55 players.[164]
On 9 August 2019, Salah scored Liverpool's second goal in a 4–1 win against Norwich City in the opening game of the 2019–20 Premier League season.[165] In the 2019 UEFA Super Cup on 14 August, Salah scored Liverpool's fifth and ultimately decisive penalty in a 5–4 penalty shoot-out win against Chelsea, after the game had finished 2–2 after extra time.[166][167] In December, Salah ended fifth in the voting polls for the 2019 Ballon d'Or, and made his 100th Premier League appearance later in the month, marking the occasion with a goal and assist in Liverpool's 3–0 win over Bournemouth.[168][169] Later that month, Liverpool won the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup, with Salah receiving the Golden Ball award for Player of the Tournament.[170]
On 19 January 2020, Salah scored his first goal in five encounters against rivals Manchester United, with a run that spanned from outside his box to the other goal in Liverpool's 2–0 home win in the Premier League.[171][172] On 29 January, Salah scored Liverpool's opening goal in a 2–0 away win against West Ham, a victory that saw the club beat every team in a Premier League season – the first time in the club's 127-year history that they had accomplished it in the top flight.[173] On 7 March, Salah scored the opening goal in a 2–1 win against Bournemouth as Liverpool made it an English top-flight record of 22 consecutive home wins. It was also his 70th Premier League goal in 100 appearances for Liverpool, meaning that he had scored seven more goals than the previous best in their first 100 league games for the club (63 goals by Fernando Torres).[174] Salah's 20th of the season saw him become the first Liverpool player to score 20 goals in all competitions in three consecutive seasons since Michael Owen between 2000–01 and 2002–03.[175] On 24 June 2020, he scored as Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 4–0 at home, as the team edged closer to securing the title.[176] After Liverpool being confirmed as champions,[177] Salah would go on to score a further two goals (both against Brighton)[178] before lifting the Premier League trophy after a 5–3 victory over Chelsea.[179]
2020–2021: 100th Liverpool goal and more records
On 12 September 2020, Salah scored a hat-trick in the first league match of a season, including two penalties, in a 4–3 win against Leeds United.[180] Hence, he became the first Liverpool player to score in four consecutive league openers from the 2017–18 to 2020–21 seasons, and the second man in Premier League history, after Teddy Sheringham from the 1992–93 to 1995–96 seasons.[181] He also became the first player to score a hat-trick for Liverpool in the first league match since John Aldridge achieved this feat in the 1988–89 season.[182] On 17 October 2020, he scored his 100th goal for Liverpool in all competitions in a 2–2 away draw against Everton.[183] In scoring his 100th goal in his 159th game, Salah became the first player since Steven Gerrard in 2008 to reach the milestone, and the third fastest in Liverpool's history after Roger Hunt (100 goals in 144 games), and Jack Parkinson (153 games).[184] Salah is the fastest to reach 100 goals for Liverpool while scoring purely in England's top flight, given that both Hunt and Parkinson scored some of their goals for Liverpool in the Football League Second Division.[185]
On 31 January 2021, Salah scored two goals against West Ham and became the fifth Liverpool player to score more than 20 goals in all competitions in four consecutive seasons, and the first since Ian Rush did so six times running from 1981–82 to 1986–87.[186] In addition, his goal in the 68th minute that game was later voted as Premier League Goal of the Month.[187][188] On 24 April, he scored in a 1–1 draw with Newcastle United, to become the first Liverpool player to score 20 goals in three different Premier League campaigns.[189] On 13 May, he scored a goal in a 4–2 away win over Manchester United, to be his team's first away win at Old Trafford since March 2014.[190] Moreover, he also became the only player to score at Old Trafford for Liverpool in two different games in a season, having scored twice in a 3–2 defeat in the FA Cup, since Harry Chambers in the 1920–21 season.[191]
2021–2022: Third Golden Boot and Playmaker of the Season
Salah during a pre-season game for Liverpool in 2021
Salah opened the 2021–22 season with a goal and two assists in a 3–0 win away to Norwich, becoming the first player to score in the opening game of five consecutive Premier League seasons.[192] On 12 September, Salah scored his 100th Premier League goal in the 3–0 win away to Leeds United.[193] On 25 September, Salah scored his 100th Premier League goal for Liverpool in a 3–3 draw away to Brentford. Reaching 100 top-flight goals in fewer games than any player in Liverpool history, he achieved the milestone in 151 games, one game fewer than Roger Hunt who reached a century of goals in 152 games.[194] The goal also moved Salah into Liverpool's top 10 all-time scorers list.[195]
"We don't have to talk about what Messi and Ronaldo have done for world football and their dominance. But right now, he [Salah] is the best. I see him every day. There are people like Lewandowski and Ronaldo and Messi and Mbappe, but at this moment for sure he's on top of that list."
On 19 October 2021, Salah became the first player in Liverpool history to score in nine consecutive games with two goals in a 3–2 win away to Atlético Madrid in the Champions League. His second goal, his 31st in the Champions League, saw him become Liverpool's record goalscorer in the competition, surpassing the 30 goals scored by Steven Gerrard.[197] In his next game on 24 October Salah continued breaking records with a hat-trick against Liverpool's arch rivals Manchester United in a 5–0 away victory.[198] In scoring three goals Salah became the highest scoring African player in Premier League history (surpassing the 104 goals scored by Didier Drogba), and the first Liverpool player to score in ten consecutive games as well as the first Liverpool player to score at Old Trafford three games in a row.[199][200] He also became the first opposition player to score a hat-trick at Old Trafford since Ronaldo in 2003, and the first to do so in Premier League history.[198][200] On 3 October 2021, Salah scored a goal against Manchester City after dribbling through their defence.[201] The goal was later named the Premier League Goal of the Month[202] and the Premier League Goal of the Season for 2021–22.[203] On 1 December, Salah scored twice in a 4–1 away win against Everton in the Premier League as Liverpool became the first team in English top-flight history to score at least two goals in 18 successive games in all competitions.[204]
On 7 December 2021, Salah scored Liverpool's opening goal in a 2–1 away win against AC Milan at the San Siro as Liverpool became the first English club to win all six Champions League group games in the competition's history. The goal was Salah's 20th of the season and he became the first Liverpool player since Ian Rush to score 20 goals in five successive seasons.[205] On 16 December, Salah scored Liverpool's second goal in a 3–1 home win against Newcastle United, the 15th consecutive Premier League game he either scored or made an assist, in what was Liverpool's 2,000th top-flight win.[206] On 19 February 2022, Salah became the 10th player to score 150 goals in all competitions for the club, and the second fastest (232 matches) after Roger Hunt (226), when he scored the second goal in a 3–1 Premier League win over Norwich at Anfield.[207] On 19 April, Salah became the first Premier League Player to score 5 goals against Manchester United in a single season after scoring a brace in a 4–0 win at Anfield.[208] On 29 April, Salah was named England's Men's Footballer of the Year for the second time since 2018.[209] On 22 May, Salah was awarded his third Golden Boot award at the end of the Premier League 2021–22 season, sharing the award with Son Heung-min after both players scored 23 goals. Salah also won the Playmaker of the Season award after collecting 13 assists.[210] Salah earned a runners-up medal in the 2021–22 Champions League, losing the final to Real Madrid.[211] Liverpool narrowly missed out on the chance to achieve a historic quadruple, coming second in the 2021–22 Premier League and the Champions League but winning both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup.[212]
2022–2023: Contract extension and European records
Salah (right) playing for Liverpool in 2022 against RB Leipzig
On 1 July 2022, Salah signed a new contract with Liverpool, lasting until at least 2025.[213] On 30 July, Salah scored a penalty and assisted a goal in a 3–1 FA Community Shield victory against Manchester City.[214] On 6 August, Salah began the new Premier League campaign by scoring one goal and assisting another in a 2–2 draw away at Fulham. With his eighth goal in Premier League opening matches, he became the first player to score on the opening day six seasons in a row, and equalled the record of total goals on opening days set by Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Alan Shearer.[215] On 12 October, Salah came off the bench in a Champions League match away to Rangers, before scoring three goals in the space of six minutes and twelve seconds of an eventual 7–1 win.[216] This saw him break Bafétimbi Gomis' record for the fastest Champions League hat-trick of all time.[217] With 38 goals, he also became the highest goalscorer for an English side, beating out Didier Drogba and Sergio Aguero.[218] On 17 October, Salah was voted in fifth place for the Ballon D'or ceremony.[219]
On 7 January 2023, Salah surpassed Kenny Dalglish for sixth place on the club's all-time top scorers' list, taking his tally for the club to 173 from 280 matches, when he scored the second goal in a 2–2 home draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup.[220] On 21 February, Salah became Liverpool's top goalscorer in European competitions after scoring the second goal of the Champions League match against Real Madrid in the first leg of the round of sixteen.[221] Despite being defeated by Real Madrid in both legs of the round of sixteen and not advancing further in the competition, Salah finished the 2022–23 Champions League as the second-highest goalscorer in the competition, behind only Erling Haaland.[222] Moreover, on 5 March, Salah scored two goals and delivered two assists against Manchester United in a 7–0 win and became Liverpool's top scorer in the Premier League with 129 goals, overtaking Robbie Fowler's tally of 128. Salah also became the first Liverpool player to score against Manchester United in five consecutive games.[223] With his first goal against Manchester United, Salah became the highest scoring Egyptian ever with 303 career goals, surpassing Hossam Hassan who had scored 302 goals for club & country in all competitions between 1985 and 2007. On 6 May, Salah became the first player in Liverpool history to score in nine successive games at Anfield with his 100th goal at the stadium.[224] On 15 May, Salah completed his first-ever hat-trick of assists in a Premier League match in 3–0 away win against Leicester City.[225] At the end of the 2022–23 season, Liverpool narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification, with Salah describing himself as "totally devastated".[226] Despite this, Salah was widely praised as one of the best performers in the Premier League that season.[227][228]
2023–2024: EFL Cup and Liverpool records
In the preseason of the 2023–24 season, Salah was the recipient of a two-year contract offer worth £155m from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad.[229] Had Salah accepted the offer, he would have joined his former teammate Fabinho in Jeddah and Liverpool would have received a £52m transfer fee. However, the agent of Salah, Ramy Abbas Issa, stated on 7 August 2023 that his client was "committed" to Liverpool.[229] On 1 September 2023, Al-Ittihad sent an offer worth £150 million to sign him. However, the deal was eventually turned down by Liverpool on the same day.[230] In the 2023–24 season, Salah moved into a playmaker role on the pitch, with manager Jürgen Klopp stating that now the situation was "slightly different, especially with Darwin [Núñez] when he… [was] playing". Klopp further opined that Salah was "smart enough to adapt to all these different things" and that he was "in all phases world class".[231]
On 21 October 2023, Salah scored the 200th and 201st league goals of his career with a brace in the Merseyside derby.[232] On 26 October, Salah scored the last goal in a 5–1 victory against Toulouse to become the highest-scoring Premier League player in European competitions, overtaking Thierry Henry.[233][234] On 29 October, with Salah scoring in a 3–0 victory against Nottingham Forest, he became the third player in Liverpool history to achieve the feat of scoring in each of the opening five home league matches of a season, after Harry Chambers and John Aldridge. Chambers and Aldridge made this achievement in 1922 and 1987 respectively.[235] On 9 December, Salah scored his 200th goal for Liverpool in a 2–1 win away to Crystal Palace in the Premier League to become the fifth player at the club to reach the landmark, following Ian Rush, Roger Hunt, Gordon Hodgson and Billy Liddell.[236] On 14 March 2024, he netted a goal in a 6–1 win over Sparta Prague in the Europa League round of 16, in which he became the first player to score at least 20 goals in seven consecutive seasons for Liverpool, breaking Ian Rush's previous record of six between 1981–82 and 1986–87.[237] On 7 April, Salah scored in a 2–2 draw away against Manchester United, bringing his Premier League goal tally at Old Trafford to six, the most of any visiting player in the competition's history, overtaking Steven Gerrard's five goals.[238] On 25 May, Salah was named the African top goal scorer in the 2023–24 Premier League season with 18 goals from 34 league appearances for Liverpool.[239] On 7 June, he was awarded Liverpool's Player of the Season for the fourth time in his career.[240] The end of the season saw manager Jürgen Klopp’s departure from Liverpool. Across Klopp’s tenure as Liverpool manager, Salah was his most used player.[241]
2024–2025 season
On 17 August 2024, Salah broke the record for the most goals scored on opening day in Premier League history after netting in a 2–0 win over newly promoted Ipswich Town.[242] On 2 October, with a curled goal in a 2–0 victory over Bologna in the Champions League, he surpassed Didier Drogba as the all-time highest scoring African player the competition.[243] On 20 October, Salah scored a penalty against Chelsea,[244] bringing his Premier League total that season up to five goals and five assists in eight games played.[245] This remains the earliest into a season a Liverpool player has both scored five or more goals and assisted five or more in the competition.[245] The beginning of the season took place among much discussion about the potential expiry of the contracts of Salah as well as teammates Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. On the matter, Micah Richards commented: "[t]hey [Liverpool] have got to sign Mo Salah up, it is imperative they give him a two-year deal."[241] On 24 November, Salah scored a brace in a 3–2 away win against Southampton, the latter goal of which was his 100th away goal for Liverpool in all competitions.[246] On 4 December, he scored a brace and provided an assist in a 3-3 draw against Newcastle United to become the first player in Premier League history to both score and assist in 37 separate matches, overtaking Wayne Rooney's tally of 36.[247]
On 10 December 2024, he scored his 50th UEFA Champions League goal in Liverpool's 1–0 victory against Girona.[248] On 14 December, he made his 100th assist for Liverpool in all competitions, in the Premier League game against Fulham.[249] On 22 December, he scored a brace and provided two assists in a 6–3 away victory over Tottenham Hotspur to become the first player in Premier League history to reach double digits in both goals and assists before Christmas with 15 goals and 11 assists. He also became Liverpool's fourth-highest goalscorer of all time with 229 goals to his name, as he surpassed Billy Liddell's tally.[250]
Salah was selected for the Egypt squad to play at the 2012 Summer Olympics[253] scoring in all three of the team's group games. In their opening match on 26 July, he scored Egypt's second goal in a 3–2 defeat to Brazil.[254] He scored the equaliser in their 1–1 draw against New Zealand on 29 July,[255] before scoring Egypt's opening goal in a 3–1 win over Belarus in their final group stage game played on 1 August,[256] securing advancement into the knockout stage of the tournament, where Egypt were eliminated following a 3–0 quarter-final defeat to Japan on 4 August.[257]
Senior
Salah (number 19) playing for Egypt against Tunisia during a friendly match in October 2012
On 10 June 2012, he scored a goal in the 93rd minute in stoppage time against Guinea to give Egypt an important 3–2 away victory in a 2014 World Cup qualifier.[260] On 9 June 2013, Salah scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 away win against Zimbabwe as Egypt won their fourth consecutive match in the World Cup qualifiers.[261] A week later in the following match, he scored the only goal away to Mozambique, putting Egypt into the final qualifying group.[262] On 10 September, Salah scored his sixth tournament goal in a 4–2 win over Guinea, securing Egypt a 100% record to finish their qualifying group and becoming the joint-top scorer among all African teams in the qualification stages.[263]
On 10 October 2014, Salah scored in a 2–0 win over Botswana, also scoring in the return fixture on five days later, in qualifying for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.[264][265] On 19 November, Salah scored the opening goal in a 2–1 away defeat to Tunisia, as Egypt missed out on qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations finals for a third consecutive time.[266][267]
Salah was a member of the Egypt squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations held in Gabon.[268][269] On 25 January, he scored in Egypt's 1–0 win over Ghana to secure first place in Group D.[270] He went all the way to the final with Egypt, scoring twice and assisting two times in six games, earning him a place in the CAF Team of the Tournament.[271]
Salah was the top scorer for Egypt with five goals during the 2018 World Cup qualification, including both goals in the decisive 2–1 victory over Congo, one of which was a penalty in the last minute to make the Pharaohs reach their first World Cup finals since the 1990 tournament.[272] Despite doubts over his fitness following his shoulder injury, Salah was included in Egypt's 29-man provisional squad for the 2018 World Cup and was included in their final 23-man squad on 4 June.[273][274] He missed Egypt's opening match against Uruguay on 15 June, which the Pharaohs lost 1–0, conceding in the 89th minute.[275] Salah scored a penalty in Egypt's 3–1 defeat to hosts Russia at the Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg four days later.[276] In Egypt's final group game on 25 June, Salah scored his second goal of the World Cup with a chip over the goalkeeper in Egypt's 2–1 defeat to Saudi Arabia at Volgograd Arena.[277][278]
On 8 September, in a 6–0 win over Niger in qualifying for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, Salah scored two goals, provided two assists and also missed two penalties. His first penalty, in the first minute of the game, was saved, while the second he converted the loose ball after it was initially saved.[279]
On 16 June 2019, Salah provided two assists after coming on as a substitute in 3–1 win over Guinea in friendly warm-up game for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, wearing the captain's armband for the first time in his international career.[280] On 26 June, Salah scored his first goal of the tournament in Egypt's second group match, a 2–0 win over DR Congo; he was also involved in the opening goal of the match, which was scored by captain Ahmed Elmohamady.[281]
On 24 March 2023, Salah scored his 50th international goal for Egypt,[287][288] making Egypt the only African team with more than one player who had scored at least 50 international goals.[289] On 16 November, Salah scored four goals in Egypt's 6–0 win over Djibouti, and became Egypt's highest goalscorer in World Cup qualification matches overtaking Mohamed Aboutrika.[290]
On 30 December 2023, he was selected in the 27-man squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.[291] On 14 January 2024, he scored a stoppage-time penalty in a 2–2 draw against Mozambique in the opening match of group stage, becoming the first Egyptian to score in four different AFCON tournaments.[292] Four days later, he sustained a hamstring injury against Ghana, which forced him to withdraw from the competition.[293] Later that year, on 10 June, he earned his 100th international cap, in which he also scored a goal, in a 1–1 away draw against Guinea-Bissau during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.[294][295]
Style of play
Analysis
Salah (pictured in 2018) is best known for his speed, dribbling, clinical finishing and playmaking abilities.
Regarded as a quick, mobile, hard-working and tactical player, with good technique and an eye for goal, Salah is predominantly known for his speed, movement, clinical finishing, agility, dribbling skills, first touch, and ball control, as well as his ability to use both his pace and flair on the ball to beat opponents, and create scoring opportunities for himself or his teammates.[296][297][298][299][300] In recent years, Salah's playmaking has started to receive increased recognition; he recorded 25 assists across the 2021–22 and 2022–23 Premier League seasons, compared to 33 assists across the four seasons prior to this.[301] A versatile forward, he primarily plays as a winger on the right flank, a position which allows him to cut into the centre onto his stronger left foot, and either shoot on goal or play quick exchanges with other players and make runs in behind the defence towards goal. He can also play in the centre behind the main striker as either an attacking midfielder or second striker.[302]
On his increased threat in front of goal since joining Liverpool, Salah credits Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp's request for him to occupy more advanced central positions, often operating as a main striker, with the forward telling ESPN, "I play closer to the goal than any club before."[297][298][303] Salah initially started his career at the left-back position, however, following a 4–0 win over the youth team of Egyptian club ENPPI, Salah was in tears for not scoring after missing several clear chances; this made his coach realise his passion for scoring goals, forcing him to move him to a forward position.[304][305]
Reception
Salah is regarded by several pundits and footballing figures as one of the best players in the world and one of the best African players of all time.[306][307][308] While Salah was playing at Al Mokawloon, American coach Bob Bradley saw Salah play and noted his prodigious speed, explosiveness, and intelligence on the pitch, already evident at his young age.[309] Upon signing for Chelsea, José Mourinho said of Salah: "He's young, he's fast, he's creative, he's enthusiastic. When we analysed him he looks the kind of humble personality on the pitch, ready to work for the team."[310] Mourinho added that Salah has "similar qualities" with "talented players" that he had worked with, such as Gareth Bale and Arjen Robben.[311] His technical skills, pace, left foot, goalscoring, position and direct playing style led him to be nicknamed the "Egyptian Messi", in the Italian media.[312][313] Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldo – whom Salah idolised while growing up – stated, "Salah is an incredible player with a tremendous quality. He looks like Messi."[314][315] Salah has also received praise for his refusal to celebrate against his former clubs.[316]
Personal life
Salah and his wife, Magi, married in 2013. Their daughter, Makka, born in 2014,[317] is named in honour of the Islamic holy city of Mecca.[309] They welcomed a second daughter, Kayan, in 2020.[318] Salah is Muslim and celebrates goals by performing the sujud.[319] On this goal celebration, Salah told CNN, "It's something like praying or thanking God for what I have received, but yeah, it's just praying and praying for a win. I've always done that since I was young, everywhere."[320]
Salah enjoys playing football on his PlayStation, and has confessed jokingly that "Salah in the video game is stronger than the real one".[321] Salah has also revealed that his favourite food is kushari, an Egyptian working class dish in origin that is usually made from rice, pasta and lentils and topped with a variety of options including spiced tomatoes, chickpeas and onions.[322]
During the 2018 Egyptian presidential election, a large number of spoilt ballot papers, possibly more than a million, involved voters crossing out both names and writing Salah's name instead.[323][324]
Outside football
Sponsors
Salah has a sponsorship deal with sportswear and equipment supplier Adidas: he wears a special edition Adidas X Crazyfast+ football boots called Egyptian Nights.[325] He appeared in an Adidas 2018 World Cup commercial along with other players who are also sponsored by them, including David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Paul Pogba and singer Pharrell Williams.[326]
In March 2018, Salah appeared in an advertisement for Vodafone Egypt. Filmed visiting several Merseyside landmarks, the video was originally released in Arabic (but was also translated to English).[327] A month later, he mentioned that he was "insulted" after his image was displayed across the national team's plane without his permission before the start of the World Cup that year, as the official sponsor of the national team, WE, is a rival of his sponsor.[328]
Charity
Salah is active in regeneration projects in Nagrig, his hometown where most people live in poverty, donating money to help build a school and hospital.[329][330] The project includes the construction of an Al-Azhar institute and an ambulance unit. In an interview with Al-Masry Al-Youm, Salah's father claimed that his son refused to accept any financial assistance with the project.[331]
During his time in Egypt, Salah's family was once robbed, however, the thief was caught and arrested by police, with Salah's father preparing to press charges against him, but Mohamed convinced him to drop the case. Afterwards, Salah helped the thief financially, giving him some money and trying to find him a job.[332] In February 2018, following a match against Tottenham, Salah donated a replica shirt to young supporter Mohamed Abdel Karim, who was previously pictured wearing a jumper reading Salah's name and shirt number.[333] Moreover, Mohamed Salah has helped more than 450 families by giving them monthly allowances and he also helped the government by giving approximately $300,000 when the country was experiencing an economic crisis.[334]
On 14 August 2022, a fire broke out at Abu Sefein Church in Giza, Egypt, with 41 people losing their lives as a result. Salah subsequently expressed his condolences on social media,[335] and made a donation of three million Egyptian pounds to help rebuild the church.[336]
During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Salah called for humanitarian aid to be allowed into the Gaza Strip and for the "massacres" and the "slaughter of innocent civilians" to stop.[337] Salah also donated an undisclosed amount to support the Palestinian people.[338]
The most popular chant for Salah was made by Liverpool supporters where they called him the Egyptian King – "Mo Salah! Mo Salah! Mo Salah! Running down the wing. Mo Salah la-la-la la-ahh, The Egyptian King!",[339] to the tune of "Sit Down" by James. They also created another chant to the tune of Dodgy's "Good Enough", saying that if Salah continued to score goals, they would convert to Islam – "If he's good enough for you, he's good enough for me, if he scores another few, then I'll be Muslim too."[340] Salah has given his approval to the chant, and it has been cited as an example of inclusivity.[341] According to a 2021 study in the American Political Science Review, Salah's transfer to Liverpool led to a 16% reduction in hate crimes in the city, as well as reducing Islamophobic online rhetoric by Liverpool fans.[342] Salah is devout to a degree that many other well-known Muslims sports figures are not, and his charm and apolitical persona have made him a popular figure in the UK.[309] During his goal celebration, Salah lays in the prostrate position to thank God in sujud.[343]
Salah is nicknamed "The Pharaoh" by the press and his fans.[344][345][346] He has also been given the nickname "Egyptian King" by Liverpool supporters,[347][348] arising from a chant set to the tune of "Sit Down" by English indie rock band James.[349]
Following his goal that led Egypt to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1990, a school in Egypt was named after him.[350] Following Egypt's exit from the World Cup, Salah stayed in his home country for his pre-season holiday. In late June, his address was accidentally leaked on Facebook. After this, crowds of fans showed up at Salah's house, with Salah greeting the fans and signing autographs for some, although according to reports in Spain, police did arrive to cordon off his house.[351]
During Liverpool's 2018 pre-season tour in the U.S., American artist Brandan Odums created a mural in the Times Square area displaying Salah in the Egypt kit, with the player later posting an image on social media posing next to it.[352][353] In Egypt, several murals have also been created displaying Salah's likeness, including one in the capital of Cairo.[354][355]
A testament to his influence in the region and globally, Salah was featured on the cover of two major magazines in 2018: GQ Middle East (feature story titled "The Unstoppable Rise of Mo Salah")[356] and Time magazine's 2019 Time 100 edition.[357] An advocate of women's equality in the Middle East, Salah (in his Time 100 entry) states, "We need to change the way we treat women in our culture".[358] English comedian, and noted Liverpool fan, John Oliver wrote Salah's feature in the Time 100 issue.[357] Oliver notably started the feature writing "Mo Salah is a better human being than he is a football player. And he's one of the best football players in the world."[359] Despite being named as the "GQ Middle East Man of The Year" in 2019, another GQ photoshoot, with Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio, caused him some criticism in the Islamic world.[360] In January 2020, it was announced that Salah would be honoured with a wax statue at Madame Tussauds in London.[361]
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 22 December 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
First and only player to outscore three Premier League teams in a Premier League season: West Brom (31), Swansea City (28) and Huddersfield Town (28) in 2017–18[516]
First and only player to score on the opening day of six consecutive Premier League seasons: (2017–18 to 2022–23)[517]
Highest-scoring African player in Premier League history: 172 goals[200]
Most Premier League goals scored on the opening weekend: 9 goals[242]
Most left-footed goals scored in Premier League history: 138 goals[518]
Most assists by an African player in the Premier League history: 80 assists[519]
Most Premier League games with both a goal and assist in the competition’s history: 38 games[520]
First player EVER to reach double figures for goals AND assists before Christmas in the Premier League history: Achieved by 22 December in season 2024–25[521]
Most Premier League seasons with both 10+ goals and 10+ assists by a player in the competition’s history: 6 Seasons[522]
First player in the Premier League history to produce 10+ goals AND 10+ assists in four consecutive seasons: From season 2021–22 to 2024–25[523]
Liverpool
Most goals in a debut season: 44 goals in 2017–18[524]
^Wallace, Sam (2 February 2015). "Salah to Fiorentina on loan". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
^"Mohamed Salah trolled by Liverpool team-mate over Puskas Award". Metro. 25 September 2018. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018. Mohamed Salah controversially won the Puskas award at the Best FIFA Football Awards 2018 on Monday night ... [he] was delighted to pick up the award, despite the controversy.
^McNulty, Phil (12 September 2020). "Liverpool 4–3 Leeds United". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
^McNulty, Phil (17 October 2020). "Everton 2–2 Liverpool". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
^ abcAl-Sayyad, Yasmine (25 May 2018). "Liverpool F.C.'s Mohamed Salah, an Arab Muslim Sports Star Subtly Confronting Racism and Islamophobia". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 26 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018. Being religious yet apolitical is partly what has made Salah appealing to the predominantly white fan base of England's Premier League. "I think part of Salah's charm is that he's not an outwardly political figure addressing Islamophobia in England," Khaled Beydoun, a law scholar and the author of "American Islamophobia," told me. "He is able to effectively erode negative views of Muslims and challenge Islamophobia" just by being himself.
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