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The 2021 FIFA FIFPRO World XI nominees were announced yesterday, and surprisingly Mohamed Salah failed to make the cut. The FIFPRO World XI is the only global award conducted by the players and for the players. A shortlist of 23 nominees has been declared, out of which 11 players will feature in the final FIFPRO World XI.
The 23 players selected can be categorized into three goalkeepers, six defenders, six midfielders, six forwards, and two more players who racked up maximum votes. As attacking players generally dominate footballing awards, the two extra players selected were both forwards. As a result, a total of eight forwards were nominated.
Mohamed Salah's exemplary displays more than merit his place in the FIFPRO World XI shortlist
Mohamed Salah has been on fire this season. After losing out on last season’s Premier League golden boot in a close fight, the Egyptian wizard has been at his clinical best this campaign. He leads the Premier League charts in both goals and assists. However, that wasn’t enough to see him feature in the FIFPRO World XI shortlist.
It goes without saying that Mohamed Salah has been the best Premier League player this season. But even when ten Premier League players, including two forwards, were selected, Mohamed Salah failed to make the cut.
Here is a list of three forwards who didn’t deserve to make the FIFPRO World XI shortlist ahead of Mohamed Salah.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United has brought back belief among the Old Trafford faithful. Ronaldo has performed in clutch situations for Manchester United this season, and has already bailed them out on multiple occasions in the Premier League and Champions League.
The Portuguese superstar has scored seven Premier League goals and six Champions League goals this season. While the stats are impressive, especially for someone in their mid-30s, Mohamed Salah has been far better. The Liverpool right-winger has netted 14 and seven times in the Premier League and Champions League, respectively.
Salah has a pretty solid lead over Ronaldo when it comes to assists. The 29-year-old has nine assists already, the most in the Premier League. Overall, Mohamed Salah had 44 goal contributions (33 goals and 11 assists) in the Premier League and Champions League this year. That's more than Ronaldo’s 36 goal contributions (30 goals and six assists) in Serie A, the Premier League and Champions League.
Hence, Salah should have made the FIFPRO World XI over the Manchester United number 7.
#2 Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku, another former Serie A player who plies his trade in the Premier League now, has also been nominated for the FIFPRO World XI. Like Mohamed Salah, Lukaku also had a great 2020-21 season. However, the Egyptian has massively outperformed the Chelsea striker this season.
The former Inter Milan marksman scored 24 goals and recorded 11 assists in Serie A last season. His contribution to Inter’s Scudetto-winning campaign was a vital criterion for his nomination in FIFPRO World XI. But he hasn't been anywhere close to his last season's level.
Even if we give him some leeway due to his injury, Lukaku hasn’t found life easy upon his return to Stamford Bridge so far.
The €115 million signing has scored just three goals in 11 Premier League appearances for Chelsea. Salah has recorded 11 more goals and has nine more assists than Lukaku.
The Chelsea number 9 had a sensational time with Inter last season, but he could only manage a couple more goals than Salah’s 22 with Liverpool.
In all, Romelu Lukaku scored 18 goals and racked up nine assists in 38 league and continental matches in 2021. But his 27 goal contributions are dwarfed by Salah’s 44. Lukaku didn’t have a great Euro 2020 campaign with Belgium, either.
With all this in mind, Salah merits a place in the FIFPRO World XI ahead of Lukaku.
#1 Neymar Jr
Neymar Jr has made the FIFPRO World XI 23-man shortlist ahead of Mohamed Salah. The PSG star is yet to be directly involved in a Champions League goal this season. In 2021, he has a meager 18 goals and assists in Ligue 1 and the Champions League combined. Let alone Salah, but even the likes of Gabriel Jesus (24) and Raphinha (19) have higher goal contribution.
Neymar was destined to win Ligue 1 and Copa America this year, considering both PSG and Brazil were favorites for their respective titles. However, Lille pipped PSG to the Ligue 1 crown, and his PSG teammates Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria helped Argentina defeat Brazil in the Copa America final.
Neymar was impressive in Copa America. Unlike Ronaldo and Lukaku, the 29-year-old led Brazil to the tournament’s final. Although he scored two goals and assisted his teammates thrice in Copa America, that is certainly not enough to justify his place in the FIFPRO World XI ahead of Mohamed Salah.
Mohamed Salah is arguably the best player in the world at the moment. He has more goals and assists (23) in the ongoing Premier League season than what Neymar has managed for PSG in the entirety of 2021. Neymar’s inclusion ahead of Salah in the FIFPRO World XI shortlist cannot be justified.
