5 players we can’t believe made the Ballon d’Or shortlist ahead of Mohamed Salah last year

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been so good in the 2024-25 season that we’re left wondering how on earth he was left out of the Ballon d’Or’s 30-man shortlist last year.

The Egyptian King is the front-runner to claim this year’s award after notching mindblowing numbers in the Liverpool’s title charge.

It’s been an emphatic response to his doubters after a relatively disappointing 2023-24, in which he struggled for form after suffering a hamstring injury whilst away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Even while not as his best, Salah still notched a more than respectable tally of 25 goals and 14 assists in all competitions as the Reds won a League Cup and comfortably made it back into the Champions League in Jurgen Klopp’s final season at the helm.

Here are five players we can’t quite believe made the Ballon d’Or shortlist ahead of Salah last year.

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal might have failed to pick up any silverware (the Community Shield doesn’t count, sorry Arteta) in 2024 but they ended up with four players on the Ballon d’Or shortlist.

We’re not going to argue with Declan Rice or Bukayo Saka, given the role they played in England’s run to the Euros final, while William Saliba was superb at the back as Didier Deschamps’ dour France made it to the semis.

But even Saka, good as he was, notched two fewer goals and one fewer assist than an out-of-sorts Salah did in the Premier League last term. That’s the kind of lofty standard he’s set.

We draw the line at a fourth Arsenal player in Odegaard, particularly given Norway’s failure to qualify for Euro 2024.

The playmaker was very good in the Gunners’ title charge last term (considerably better than this year), but even as the creative fulcrum of Mikel Arteta’s well-oiled machine he still only notched as many Premier League assists (10) as Salah.

Ruben Dias

The 2023-24 campaign was another solid season for Dias, who lifted a fourth successive Premier League trophy after moving from Benfica back in 2020.

But this nomination felt like an autopilot pick. Arsenal conceded fewer goals and kept more clean sheets in 2023-24, while Dias shipped four (including an own goal) over two legs in the Champions League elimination at the hands of Real Madrid.

Manchester City also had Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and eventual winner Rodri in the 30-man shortlist, but those were worthier inclusions.

Ademola Lookman

Bayer Leverkusen went unbeaten on all fronts right until the very end of the 2023-24 campaign, when Lookman denied them a historic treble by becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in a European final since Jupp Heynckes for Borussia Monchengladbach all the way back in 1975.

Atalanta hadn’t won any silverware since 1963 and the Nigerian winger stepped up in superb style on the big occasion. He’d also played a big role in the Super Eagles’ run to the AFCON final a few months prior.

For that alone, you could argue that Lookman was worthy of his place in the 30-man shortlist, the only African representative.

Gian Piero Gasperini might not be a fan of his penalties, but he’s come on a long way since that failed panenka for Fulham. He’s a brilliant footballer and we’re not going to quibble with him picking up the 2024 African Footballer Of The Year award.

As good as he’s been, though, Salah’s operating on another level entirely. Even in what was largely considered an “off” year, plagued by injuries, Liverpool’s Egyptian King notched eight more goals and five more assists in all competitions.

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Mats Hummels

The veteran defender was very good, to be fair, as Dortmund upset the odds to top a Champions League group featuring AC Milan, PSG and Newcastle United, before knocking out PSV, Atletico Madrid and PSG en route to the final.

But you can’t help but think is a strong example of where a handful of Champions League games can be overinflated when it comes to the Ballon d’Or, particularly when Dortmund didn’t get the job done in the final.

Hummels’ last season in his second stint with Dortmund ultimately ended trophyless, and they endured a miserable Bundesliga campaign – a distant fifth, 27 points off champions Bayer Leverkusen. A 4-0 defeat at home to the worst Bayern side in a generation rubbed salt into their wounds.

READ: 8 pundits on Mohamed Salah’s Ballon d’Or chances: Carragher, Wenger…

Artem Dovbyk

The Planet Football writer behind this piece was there when Dovbyk scored a last-gasp winner for Ukraine against Sweden at Euro 2020.

For that alone, he won’t hear a bad word against him. And scoring 24 La Liga goals to fire Girona into the Champions League last season was an exceptional achievement.

It’s all too easy to forget how good Dovbyk was for Girona following his mediocre start to life at Roma. It was nice to see his season recognised.

But 12 months in it already feels like a weird fever dream he made the 30-man shortlist ahead of Salah, who has consistently proven himself one of the best players in Europe over the past eight seasons with Liverpool.