Mo Salah was snubbed at the FIFA Best Awards, with five Liverpool players involved in voting.
Only the Ballon d’Or tops the FIFA Best Awards as the most prestigious individual honour a footballer can receive.
Every year since 2016, world football’s governing body has hosted a ceremony to celebrate the best-performing players of the year.
With voting taking place in November, the captain, coach and a member of the press from each nation vote for their top three.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 25, 2025: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah with the golden boot award after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Like with the Ballon d’Or, Ousmane Dembele came out as the winner, while Barcelona‘s Lamine Yamal finished second and Real Madrid‘s Kylian Mbappe came third. Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women’s prize.
Salah, who was voted the fourth best of 2025 at the Ballon d’Or, did not even make the FIFPro Best XI of the year despite scoring 29 goals and providing 18 assists across the 2024/25 campaign – that was 11 more goal contributions than the next best in Europe’s top five leagues.
However, Virgil van Dijk was included in a team that bizarrely featured Cole Palmer on the right instead of Salah.
Reacting to the news that Salah had again not been picked for the World XI, former teammate Dejan Lovren made a tongue-in-cheek comment online, writing: “Mo you should fire your PR team. Not good enough again.”
How Liverpool players voted
Thanks to the transparency of FIFA for this award – not something that is applicable to other areas of their work – we can see how each player voted.
Liverpool’s national team captains were all involved, with Salah, Van Dijk, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, Andy Robertson and Conor Bradley all casting their votes.
Aside from Salah, who didn’t vote for himself, Bradley was the only Liverpool player not to go with Salah as his No. 1 pick.
The Northern Ireland captain instead opted for Lamine Yamal as his player of the year, placing the Egyptian second.
How Liverpool players voted at FIFA Best Awards
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Sunday, November 9, 2025: Liverpool players Dominik Szoboszlai (L) and Mohamed Salah in the line-up before the FA Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Liverpool FC at the City of Manchester Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Mo Salah: 1. Hakimi – 2. Dembele – 3. Mbappe
Notable other voters included Harry Kane, who went for Dembele, Vitinha then Salah, while England’s press representative, the Mirror‘s John Cross, chose Dembele, Yamal and Vitinha.
Of course, the second half of 2025 has not gone as Salah expected, but to suggest Palmer has been better than the No. 11 this year is some stretch.
Palmer has scored just three goals outside of the Club World Cup in this calendar year.
Meanwhile, Salah has won the Premier League, the Premier League golden boot, the Premier League playmaker award, the PFA Players’ Player, the FWA Footballer of the Year prize, was named Premier League player of the season and came fourth in the Ballon d’Or.
Liverpool players vote for Arne Slot
Liverpool manager Arne Slot and Conor Bradley after the UEFA Champions League, league stage match at Anfield, Liverpool. Picture date: Tuesday November 4, 2025.
The Best FIFA Men’s Coach was also named at the ceremony, with Luis Enrique of Paris Saint-Germain winning the award after lifting the Champions League in May.
Liverpool’s players had the chance to back their head coach, Arne Slot, and they came out batting for the Dutchman,
Liverpool players’ voting for FIFA Best Men’s Coach 2025
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, September 20, 2025: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot before the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Everton FC at Anfield. The 247th Merseyside Derby. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Mo Salah: 1. Enrique – 2. Slot – 3. Flick