Mohamed Salah has been Liverpool’s best player this season, with the winger on course to enjoying arguably the greatest Premier League campaign of all time.
The Egyptian international looks set to become only the second player in league history to register 20+ goals and assists in a single season, with Salah also looking like a strong favourite to set a new record for most goals scored in a season, currently held by Erling Haaland.
Mohamed Salah’s 2024/25 Liverpool stats Games played Goals Assists
Premier League 30 27 17
Carabao Cup 5 2 1
UEFA Champions League 9 3 4
Total 44 32 22
With Theo Walcott backing Salah to win the Ballon d’Or, the 32-year-old attacker looks like a clear favourite to sweep the award later this year, even with Liverpool crashing out of the UEFA Champions League at the last-16 stage.
And Premier League icon Paulo Di Canio has now given his verdict on if Salah should be awarded the Ballon d’Or.
READ MORE: Michael Owen names one factor that will stop Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah from winning the Ballon d’Or
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Mohamed Salah named the favourite for the Ballon d’Or right now
Speaking to Foot Italia, Di Canio stated that Salah would be the favourite for the Ballon d’Or if voting were to take place right now, with the English football icon impressed with what the Liverpool winger has achieved this season.
Di Canio said: “We know that you need to do something special in different competition and not only in the Premier League. From my point of view, if we stop the season now, of course there is no doubt for me, Salah would win the Ballon d’Or. Golden Ball, Salah, easy.”
Indeed, things could have been different had Rodri been fit for Manchester City, yet Di Canio still thinks Salah is the favourite for the award, with the former West Ham star saying: “Rodri is out now in a season where players haven’t flown far away from others, and Salah deserves it more.
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“But if Vinicius Junior now scores a goal in the Champions League semi-final or final then plays the final. Then win even if he plays a bad game in the final. Just to repay the fans after they didn’t give him it in the past and maybe they’re gonna choose him, but to be honest, in this moment, Salah is the one.”
Mohamed Salah should be the clear favourite for the Ballon d’Or
Liverpool exiting the Champions League so early on in the season could play a role in if Salah wins the Ballon d’Or or not, with previous winners usually going far in the biggest club tournament in the world.
However, with this summer having no major international tournament and Salah on course to set numerous Premier League records that many thought were unbreakable, the winger remains the clear favourite for the award.
Although the likes of Vinicius Junior could have a chance if Real Madrid win the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup, no player should be coming close to Salah, who this season looks set to make history.