Mohamed Salah desperate to lift Ballon d'Or for Egypt amid stiff competition from Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal - 'Want to win it for my people'
Published 18/06/2025 at 21:21 GMT+1
Mohamed Salah has opened up on what it would mean to be named the world's best player in 2025. The Liverpool striker is among the favourites to be crowned this year's Ballon d'Or winner after a sparkling season. He helped Arne Slot's side lift the Premier League, and helped himself to 34 goals. But the Egyptian also insisted whether he wins or not is not the be-all and end-all for his career.
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Mohamed Salah insists winning the Ballon d'Or will not make or break his career - but he spoke of his desire to be named the world's best player.
The Liverpool forward is amongst the favourites to lift the coveted trophy on September 22.
It comes after a sensational season in which he scored 34 goals across 52 appearances for The Reds.
From his total haul, 29 came in the Premier League as Arne Slot's side won the title, and the Egyptian picked up his record-equalling fourth Golden Boot.
That puts him firmly in the reckoning for more personal honours, and the 33-year-old told France Football: "If I win it, it would be great. If I don't win it, I think my career will also be very good.
"But that image is in my head, always. I just want to win it for my people. That's the thing that's stuck in my head."
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The last - and only - Liverpool player to win the Ballon d'Or was Michael Owen in 2001.
But Salah faces stiff competition from a number of stars from across Europe as he aims to add his name to the list of winners.
Ousmane Dembele is the favourite with the bookmakers after helping Paris Saint-Germain lift their first UEFA Champions League crown.
Club team-mate Vitinha is also in the running, as is Spanish teenager Lamine Yamal, who won a domestic treble with Barcelona in 2024/25 and could make history if he lifts the trophy.
Further competition comes in the form of Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG) and Raphinha (Barcelona).
For Salah, who grew up playing football with his brother in the Egyptian village of Nagrig, it took a while for the possibility of winning football's greatest individual honour to sink in.
"It wasn't in my head when I was that young, because when you play in Egypt on the street, you don't see yourself winning the Ballon d'Or," Salah said.
"The first time it triggered was when Ramy [Abbas, Salah's agent] spoke to me about it.
"I think I started to believe it more in Liverpool, not in Rome.
"Several winners in recent years have been in their thirties. So, who knows?
"And then, next season promises to be exciting with the defence of our title with Liverpool and the Champions League, AFCON with Egypt and the World Cup."
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