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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the undisputable kings in the football world at the moment. The two amazing superstars have dominated the sport for the past few years, sharing the last 10 Ballon d'Or awards between them. They have been at a superior level, and no other player has been able to break their incredible duopoly.
However, with the recent developments in football this season, it seems that another superstar has joined them at the top. Liverpool's asset, Mohamed Salah is the latest player to shake the dominance of these incredible stars.
Ever since the attacker made a switch to Anfield in the summer, his performances have been quite unmatchable. The Egyptian has been impressing football fans all over the world with his fantastic displays, scoring plenty of goals and breaking many records. In fact, his impacts have been so much that people have started comparing him with two of football's greatest superstars.
Following his heroics in his recent game against Watford in which the attacker scored 4 beautiful goals, Premier League legend, Ian Rush was full of praise for the Egyptian. He said in an interview:
"The game against Watford was the best I have ever seen him play,”
“He was untouchable - not just because of his four goals but also because he wasn't selfish and was trying to make goals for his team-mates.
"There are only two players I have seen that can play at that level, and that's Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo."
The internet was set ablaze by these comments, with many people paying close attention to the third line that compares the superstar with the aforementioned incredible duo. While some people said it was too early to compare the Egyptian with the two legends, others supported Ian Rush in his views, claiming that the 25-year old is definitely up there with the two football greats.
However, if we take a sincere and unbiased look at Salah this season, we will discover that the Egyptian deserves to be compared with them. See 5 reasons that justify this comparison below:
#5 Performances
Mohamed Salah is arguably the best player in Europe this season with his amazing displays. In terms of performances, the attacker has proved that he belongs in the same class with the impressive duo.
The Egyptian is already leading the race for both the Premier League and the European Golden Shoes, with his impressive 31 goals yet to be matched by any player in the European territory. Moreover, he is also among the top goalscorers in the UEFA Champions League this season, with 8 goals to his name.
The Egyptian has converted 23.5% of his total 132 shots in the EPL this term, making him one of the most clinical attackers in the world. His impressive performances have caught the attention of many, with a lot of people tipping him to overtake Messi and Ronaldo in the Ballon d'Or race.
Great efforts deserve great results, as a sign of recognizing his impressive performances, Mohamed Salah has already won the PFA Player of The Year Award for 2018 and that is just the beginning.
All stats via whoscored.com
#4 The UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League is the biggest stage in European club football. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the best players in the Champions League for the past few years, due to their incredible level of performances in the tournament.
This season, Salah has proved that he is definitely one of the biggest players in the world by showcasing his amazing talent on the biggest stage. He has been a stand-out player since the tournament began last year with a lot of fantastic displays for Liverpool.
So far, the attacker has bagged 8 goals and 2 assists in 10 appearances, averaging 0.8 goal(s) per game. He is one of the deadliest attackers in the box this term, with 62.5% of his goals coming from there. Moreover, the attacker has converted a massive 23% of his total shots in the tournament this season and has led his team to the semi-finals of the competition.
All stats via whoscored.com
#3 Consistency
It is one thing to reach an incredible level of performance, but it is an entirely different thing to maintain such level for a long period of time. For any player to reach Messi and Ronaldo's level, he needs to be very consistent.
Salah's consistency this season is truly unimaginable. The attacker has been very brilliant since the season began and has maintained his brilliance even until this moment. In fact, the Egyptian has just been growing in strength since he made a switch to the Anfield.
Even Cristiano Ronaldo started the campaign slowly and just rediscovered his form in 2018. Only Lionel Messi has been on the same level of consistency with the winger this season. This is a big proof that the Liverpool superstar definitely belongs in football's top class.
Considering the pro-attacking system of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and the incredible level of consistency that Salah has shown this season, it looks likely that the attacker will continue with this impressive form even in the years to come.
All stats via whoscored.com
#2 Impacts
One thing that separates Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo from their peers is their incredible impact. The duo have been the flag bearers of their respective teams and have handled the responsibilities perfectly
If you pay a close attention to Salah, you will realize that the attacker has had similar impacts on Liverpool this season. The Reds have counted on him in every match during the campaign and the winger has delivered perfectly. He is their top goalscorer in both the Premier League and the European tournament this season. He is also their most creative player in the English division with an incredible 9 assists in the competition.
Moreover, he has scored 8 goals to put Liverpool in the semi-finals of the Champions League as well as helping the club to remain in the top-4 zone despite the level of competition involved this season.
His brilliance is not limited to club level, the winger led Egypt to the World Cup for the first time since 1990, scoring 2 impressive goals including a vital penalty in the 95th minute as they defeated Congo 2-1 in an intense match. What an impact!
All stats via whoscored.com
#1 Stats And Comparison
To clear any doubts, let us take a sharp look at how Mohamed Salah's statistics compare with that of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
This season, the Egyptian has scored more goals than both the Real Madrid and Barcelona icons in their various leagues. Salah has scored 31 goals in the Premier League while Messi and Ronaldo have scored 29 and 24 goals in La Liga respectively. This implies that the winger is currently the top goalscorer in Europe, leading the race to claim the European Golden Shoe for the campaign.
In the Champions League, Ronaldo has scored 15 goals. The Liverpool superstar is next to him with 8 goals while Lionel Messi is behind with just 6 goals to his name. Below is the break down of their statistics for the season:
UEFA Champions League
Cristiano Ronaldo - 15 goals, 3 assists
Mohamed Salah - 8 goals, 2 assists
Lionel Messi - 6 goals, 2 assists
Domestic Leagues
Mohamed Salah - 31 goals, 9 assists
Lionel Messi - 29 goals, 12 assists
Cristiano Ronaldo - 24 goals, 5 assists
INCREDIBLE!
Author's comment: Without bias, it is true that Mohamed Salah has reached their incredible level this season. Looking at his incredible level of consistency under Jurgen Klopp, it is most likely that he will continue with his impressive form for years and finally convince all doubters of his undeniable class.
All stats via whoscored.com
