“He deserves it though” - Ex-Liverpool star Markus Babbel explains why Mohamed Salah won’t win 2025 Ballon d’Or despite being the best

Former Liverpool player Markus Babbel has heaped praise on Mohamed Salah, comparing the Egyptian to Lionel Messi due to his incredible goal-scoring ability. However, despite acknowledging Salah as the best player in his position, Babbel believes the Liverpool forward will once again miss out on the 2025 Ballon d'Or.

Mohamed Salah was omitted from the 30-man shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d’Or. However, he has been in outstanding form this season, and he looks to be leading the race in the 2025 Ballon d’Or. The Egyptian has scored 29 goals and provided 20 assists in 37 appearances for Liverpool this term.

Babbel, who won the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup with Liverpool in 2001, expressed his admiration for Salah’s consistency and ability to deliver top performances season after season.

As the 2025 Ballon d’Or race heats up, Babbel believes Salah has a legitimate claim to the award. However, he suspects that the trophy will end up in the hands of a Real Madrid player due to external factors rather than pure footballing merit. The former Liverpool defender told Wette.de (via GOAL):

"I’ve only seen one player on Mohamed Salah’s level with a similar record, it’s Lionel Messi. You look at his goal record and it’s like he’s a number 9; but he’s a winger! He’s not Ian Rush, he’s not Alan Shearer, he plays out wide. It’s unbelievable.

"The goal record isn’t normal; I can only compare him to Messi with that goal scoring power. It’s not just the last season either, it’s the last ten years, his level is truly world class. I’m so surprised that he has never been in the running for the Ballon d’Or, I can’t believe he has never been in the top three – he’s the best player in the world in his position.

"Salah has a real chance to win the Ballon d’Or this year, but I think it will go to a Real Madrid player after they didn’t come to the ceremony this year – he deserves it though."

''I want Liverpool to win the league'' – When Mohamed Salah said he is not focused on winning the Ballon d’Or

While Mohamed Salah may appear primed to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or due to his outstanding performances, the Egyptian has downplayed winning the coveted prize.

In an interview with Sky Sports last December, Salah revealed that the only thing on his mind this season is to win the Premier League with Liverpool. When asked about winning the Ballon d’Or, the Egyptian responded (via GOAL):

“The only thing in my mind, to be fair, is I want Liverpool to win the league and I just want to be part of that. That’s the only thing I’ve really focused [on] since the beginning of the season. I will do my best for the team to win trophies. We are in the right direction but of course, there are a few other teams really trying to catch up with us and they are very good teams. We just need to stay focused and humble, work hard, and just go again.”

Mohamed Salah is on the verge of having his best ever season at Liverpool. He equaled Steve McManaman’s record of the most PL assists in a season for the Merseyside club (15) in their 2-2 draw with Aston Villa yesterday (February 19).