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The Ballon d'Or is the most decorated individual award in the game. Hosted by France Football and given to the best player of every campaign, the award is one of the most prestigious awards in football.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo haven't given any other footballer in the world a chance to even be considered for the award, sharing the last 10 Ballon d'Or awards between them (5 apiece).
There is no permanent champion in football. Therefore, it is certain that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will definitely step down at a particular time, allowing other superstars to take over. The rise of Liverpool attacker, Mohamed Salah has suggested that the moment will not be far from now.
The Egyptian has been at an incredible level, consistently producing attractive displays throughout the campaign. He won both Premier League Golden Shoe and the PFA Player Of The Year award in a fantastic season, while breaking many amazing records and has been a vital cog in Jurgen Klopp's squad this season.
The attacker bagged an incredible 32 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League. He also recorded 10 goals and 4 assists to his name in the UEFA Champions League, leading Liverpool to the final of the tournament for the first time in over a decade. His incredible level of performance has led many people to suggest that he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or.
The Liverpool forwards deserves the recognition for his amazing impact this season, but he has not reached a level where he can claim the prestigious prize yet (even though he is not far from it). However, he still has a chance to win the award by doing the three things below:
#3 Consistency
Mohamed Salah is worthy of all the plaudits he has received this season, due to his incredible displays in the red jersey.
The stats speak for themselves. The Egyptian is one of the deadliest attackers in the world at the moment, with a lot of unbelievable achievements and incredible statistics. He has been a real nightmare in front of goal, bagging an amazing 32 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League. He also has 10 goals and 4 assists in the UEFA Champions League, scoring consistently as he led The Reds in the final of the tournament.
In football, it is really difficult to reach a fantastic level of performance, but it is even more difficult to maintain such a high level of consistency for a long period of time. What differentiates Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo from other footballers is their unbelievable consistency, and the ability to produce outstanding displays day in, day out.
Salah has received constant praise for his impressive performances from the beginning of the season. However, he still needs to continue with his amazing performances in order to stand a chance of winning football's most coveted award, this year.
#2 The UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious trophy in Europe. It is a very competitive tournament, pitting the biggest and best clubs on the continent against each other as they fight for dominance and glory. In fact, many believe that it is the ultimate stage for the finest footballers to compete for recognition and prove their worth for everyone to see.
The competition has been played a vital role in determining who has been the best player in the world for the past few years. In fact, in 8 of the past 10 seasons, the winners of the Ballon d'Or are players who won the European tournament in those respective campaigns.
Therefore, Mohamed Salah also needs to lead his team to Champions League glory in order to win the prestigious award this year. Fortunately, the Egyptian is already close to this having led Liverpool to the final of the tournament, bagging an incredible 10 goals and 4 assists.
The final, which will take place on the 27th of this month is his ultimate opportunity to claim the trophy as well as a chance to edge past his strongest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo in the race to the award.
#1 The World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, the ultimate football competition is set to kick off on June 14. Mohamed Salah will also be featuring in the tournament this year, after leading Egypt to the competition for the first time in 28 years.
No achievement in the sport can be compared with lifting this prestigious trophy, and the tournament represents a big opportunity for Salah to stake a claim for the Ballon d'Or.
No African team in history has gone beyond the quarter-finals of the competition. So it will be a big achievement if Salah can lead his nation to the semi-finals next month. He can also write his name among the all-time greats and finally complete his Ballon d'Or mission by winning the World Cup in Russia next month.
