Liverpool's talisman and Egypt's national hero, Mohamed Salah, is once again in the global spotlight after being named among the finalists for the 2025 FIFA Best Men's Player award, announced by world football's governing body on Friday.
The 33-year-old joins an electrifying shortlist that includes:
★ Kylian Mbappé
★ Ousmane Dembélé
★ Lamine Yamal
★ Cole Palmer
★ Achraf Hakimi
★ Erling Haaland
It's a lineup that reads like a roll call of modern football royalty.
Salah's inclusion comes on the back of a record-breaking season that powered Liverpool to the Premier League title. The Egyptian captain was simply unstoppable with 29 goals and 18 assists, totaling 47 goal involvements, equalling the all-time record for most goals and assists combined in a single season.
Incredibly, he also clinched both the Golden Boot and Playmaker awards for the second time in his career, a feat no other player in Premier League history has achieved.
HIS PEERS TOOK NOTICE TOO:
Salah was crowned the PFA Players' Player of the Year for a stunning third time, underlining his enduring dominance.
On the international stage, he's been just as influential, leading Egypt back to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, inspiring a new generation across Africa and beyond.
However, the announcement has sparked debate among African fans after Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen was once again snubbed, despite a stellar campaign with Galatasaray, where he spearheaded their attack with goals, grit, and game-changing performances throughout the season.
Having finished third for The Best award in 2018 and 2021, this could finally be Salah's crowning moment.
A win would make him the first African since George Weah in 1995 and the first-ever Egyptian to lift the prestigious honour.
The football world now waits for Zurich, January 2026, when captains, coaches, journalists, and fans will decide if the Egyptian King finally claims his global throne.
--This news comes from FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG NEWS and is NOT for commercial purposes
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