8 pundits on Mohamed Salah’s Ballon d’Or chances: Carragher, Wenger…
Mohamed Salah is enjoying an incredible season as Liverpool romp towards the Premier League – but will it be enough to earn him the Ballon d’Or?
Salah’s chances of winning the award, up against a variety of talented opponents, have been much discussed in recent weeks.
We’ve rounded up the thoughts of these assorted pundits on Salah’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or in 2025.
Jamie Carragher
“I think the problem [is] the fact he’s with Egypt, and he’s probably not playing in the major tournament as such or maybe got a great chance of winning,” Carragher controversially said on Sky Sports.
“I think it’s either the Champions League or the major tournament [that influences who wins the Ballon d’Or].
“Normally, the player who excels in that, like Vini Jr and (Kylian) Mbappe right now, Real Madrid looking really good going for the Champions League.
“Liverpool will be in that conversation, but right now (Madrid) is certainly the front runner.”
The uproar around his comments saw Carragher later try to clarify them in a post on X.
He wrote: “The point I was trying to make yesterday was that Mo Salah is at a disadvantage playing for Egypt in terms of him winning the Ballon d’Or.
“If Salah had an average season at LFC but won the AFCON & was MVP I don’t think he would win the Ballon d’Or. Because I don’t think AFCON carries the weight of other tournaments.
“But if Mbappe had an average season at Real Madrid but won the World Cup/Euros he would still have a great opportunity.” He added: “I don’t think it’s controversial at all really it’s just a fact.”
Daniel Sturridge
Speaking after Liverpool had beaten Manchester City in February 2025, former Liverpool forward Sturridge stated Salah has to be in the conversation to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
“We’re talking Ballon d’Or now,” he said on Sky Sports. “If we’re not talking Ballon d’Or with Mohamed Salah then it’s getting out of hand.
“We have to start putting him that conversation now and saying, I don’t even know if he’s had a top five vote or a top three vote yet.”
Arsene Wenger
Sturridge was not the only one tipping Salah for the big award.
Legendary former Arsenal manager Wenger added: “He scored the goal and made an assist, I read somewhere he contributed, with his goals and assists, to 31 points of Liverpool this season.
“You cannot rule him out for any special award, this guy is exceptional. What I love the most in his career [is] he became better and better every year.
“More clinical, he does less quantity [at City] but he doesn’t lose in quality.
“What I like in his career, in his development, he has found a good balance between obsession to score goals and giving the ball.
“You know we had the period between him and Mane, there were tensions because everybody tried to score without passing the ball, and he understands that to be really great he is also to contribute. He’s done that extremely well.”
Ben Foster
Speaking on his Fozcast podcast, Foster said that he believes Salah should be the main contender for the prize, as long as Liverpool succeed in their bid for silverware.
But the former England goalkeeper’s comments came despite him admitting that he doesn’t always find the attacker’s style of play the easiest to watch.
“Mo Salah is so strong. I know there’s a lot of people who say technically he might not be absolutely perfect but who cares?” Foster said.
“If Liverpool go on to become Champions League finalists and they’re winning the Premier League, he has got to be at the top of the list.
“He’s not technically perfect, but with everything else he is 10 out of 10. Even when he’s scruffy with his finishes, it still goes in the back of the net.”
Luis Garcia
“To be honest, we’ve been talking a lot about players like Vinicius Jr and Lamine Yamal – about the players who can win the Ballon d’Or,” Garcia said after Liverpool beat Lille in January.
“I get frustrated because Mo Salah is not even in the picture because his numbers are there.
“If he manages to get two trophies, he should be at least top three. He doesn’t like the focus or being in the spotlight, he enjoys playing.”
QUIZ: Can you name Liverpool’s top 30 goalscorers of all time?
Paul Merson
Merson has explained why he believes Salah is the best player to feature in the Premier League, and what Liverpool have to do to ensure the 32-year-old wins the Ballon d’Or.
“Mohamed Salah is just extraordinary at what he does,” Merson told Sky Sports.
“He’s not always involved in the game but he is on a different planet at the moment. He is absolutely phenomenal.
“I think that’s been the difference most of the time. When he’s turned up, and he’s turned up nearly every game, he doesn’t have to be playing unbelievably well to do something unbelievably well.
“Some people are better footballers than players. There’d be some who’s a better player, but they’re not a better footballer.
“Dennis Bergkamp is an unbelievable footballer. He didn’t put up the figures that Salah’s put up.
“Salah’s a much, much better player than him. But I wouldn’t say he’s a much, much better footballer than him.
“Salah is the best player the Premier League has ever seen as he changes games on a consistent basis. No one has done that like him.
“But Thierry Henry is the only player I’ve ever seen playing in the Premier League who looks like a 20-year-old playing in a U12s league.
“I don’t get that with Salah but if Liverpool win the Champions League he will win the Ballon d’Or.”
Sam Allardyce
One-time England boss Allardyce is convinced the award will be heading to the Bernabeu for fear of the Spanish side once again not bothering to attend.
“There’s no chance,” he said of Salah winning. “It’ll be Vinicius Jr because of what Real Madrid did last year.
“They will be absolutely sh*t themselves because they won’t turn up again if one of them doesn’t win it, so one of them will win it.
“You might as well have a bet on it now.”
Andy Townsend
Speaking alongside Allardyce on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, ex-Republic of Ireland midfielder Andy Townsend believes Salah should claim the award.
“With Mo Salah, you can tell physically, he’s the same as he was 10 years ago,” he said. “He doesn’t miss many games, hardly at all, he’s out there every week. He’s dependable, his numbers are so consistent.
“As he’s got older, he doesn’t try and do stuff he’s not particularly good at, he stays where his team-mates can find him and when he gets the chance he always produces. I think he’s well worthy of it.
“What will decide if Salah wins the Ballon d’Or is ultimately how successful Liverpool end up being.
“They will probably need the Champions League as well as the Premier League.”
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