Liverpool star Mo Salah has a “great chance” of winning the Ballon d’Or in 2025, according to Jamie Carragher.
The Egyptian winger has never won the prestigious award despite being one of the best players in world football over the past seven years.
Salah came closest to doing so in 2019 and 2022, when he finished fifth in the voting. He wasn’t included the final 30-player list for this year’s honour, which was won by Manchester City’s Rodri.
The 32-year-old is one of the early favourite’s for next year’s Ballon d’Or, though, following a sensational start to the season. He’s already netted 16 goals and assisted another 11 in 17 Premier League appearances, adding another two goals and four assists in the Uefa Champions League.
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Former Liverpool defender Carragher believes the lack of a major international tournament next summer could be a massive help in Salah’s bid to finally claim the award, but reckons the Reds will need to win the Champions League to get him over the top.
“Salah has stated in the past that he wants to become the second African to win the Ballon d’Or after George Weah did so in 1995. I think he has a great chance,” the pundit wrote for The Telegraph.
“The judges usually pick the player of the tournament at a World Cup or European Championship. With no international tournament this year, it will probably be dictated by the outstanding players in the Champions League.
“Liverpool may have to win, or at least reach the final for Salah’s ambition to be realised. But no attacker in Europe is currently as productive as him, and it is usually the forwards who win.”
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“I want to win it to join George Weah, the only African [in 1995],” Salah told l’Equipe in 2022.
“It’s true that I was shocked by my ranking (7th) in 2021. For this year, the defeat against Real Madrid is a disadvantage, even if I played a good game in the final.
“But it doesn’t cancel out everything I’ve achieved for months. Let’s wait for the vote. And if I’m not Ballon d’Or in 2022, I’ll do everything I can to be the next one.”
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