Egypt manager Carlos Queiroz has made a bold claim involving superstars Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo. The 68-year-old tactician has said that Salah is currently the best player in the world.
The Portuguese manager also suggested that the claim may not go down well with Ronaldo. Speaking ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, Queiroz said:
“Probably you agree with me that in our team we have the best player in the planet at the moment. If my friend Cristiano Ronaldo listens to this, he will be upset.”
It's worth noting that Queiroz has managed Ronaldo in the past. The 68-year-old was Manchester United's assistant manager under Sir Alex Ferguson during Ronaldo's first stint at Old Trafford. Queiroz was also the manager of the Portugal national team from 2008 to 2010.
He is now the manager of the Egyptian national team, and will lead them at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. The 68-year-old coach has another superstar in his squad - Mohamed Salah. The 29-year-old winger captains his national side, having scored 45 goals in 73 appearances.
Salah is in the form of his life for Liverpool. The 29-year-old winger is coming into the tournament after scoring a wonderful goal against Chelsea in Liverpool's 2-2 Premier League draw last weekend.
Egypt have been drawn alongside Nigeria, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau in the group stage of the 2021 AFCON.
Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo have been talismans for their respective clubs this season
Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the spearheads of their respective clubs' attacks this season.
Salah is the leading goalscorer and assist provider in the Premier League, with 16 goals and nine assists in 20 league games for Liverpool. He has scored 23 goals for the Reds across competitions.
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, signed for Manchester United from Juventus in the summer of 2021, and has hit the ground running at Old Trafford. The 36-year-old forward has scored eight league goals and provided three assists in 16 matches.
The 36-year-old is United's leading goalscorer this season, having netted 14 times across competitions.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is nine goals ahead of Manchester United's second-highest scorers, Mason Greenwood and Bruno Fernandes.