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Lyon forward Islam Slimani has picked his personal favorites among the nominees of Ballon d’Or 2021. The Algerian has hailed Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah as his favorite pick. If the Egyptian manages to win despite the odds in his favor, he could become the second footballer from Africa to lift the prestigious prize.
The first man to do so was former Monaco, Paris-Saint Germain and AC Milan forward George Weah, who won it in 1995. Slimani didn't forget to mention that he would also be happy if Riyad Mahrez, his fellow teammate in the Algerian national team, managed to win it.
Both Premier League stars represent two giants of English football in Liverpool and Manchester City. They cracked their way into the 30-man shortlist of Ballon d’Or nominees this year. The winner of the Ballon d’Or will be declared live on November 29.
The only thing that can prevent Salah is the lack of individual accolades. Such accolades have been won by Bayern Munich and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, who won the European Golden Shoe with 41 goals. He was followed by fan-favorite PSG and Argentina forward Lionel Messi.
Upon being asked about the chances Salah has of winning the award against these two, Slimani said:
“God willing, why not? He (Salah) is an Arab player like us and represents Arabs everywhere. It is an honor for us Arabs to have an Arab player that is a Ballon d'Or nominee if it's him or Riyad Mahrez. The most important is that he represents Arabs and the Muslim world." via Eurosport.
Mohamed Salah's real chance at the Ballon d’Or
Mohamed Salah has looked transfixed in his zone, stitching up blistering performances for the Reds this season. He scored a stunning hat-trick against Manchester United at Old Trafford. This helped him climb ahead of former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba as the top-scoring African player in Premier League history.
He has scored a combined 17 goals with six assists in all competitions. He is also the top scorer in the Premier League with ten goals to his tally. Hence it is no wonder why the former Leicester City forward is so fascinated by singing praises for the Liverpool star.
The only factor that can account unfavorably for the Egyptian is his lack of silverware over the past year. Liverpool missed out on a golden opportunity during the pandemic.
The cancelation of the 2020 Ballon d’Or was costly because the Reds won the Premier League title the previous year with relative ease. Now, Argentina’s victory in Copa America makes Messi the top choice for the Ballon d’Or this year.
Bookmaker's favorites to win the 2021 Ballon d’Or
- Lionel Messi 1/2
- Robert Lewandowski 3/1
- Mohamed Salah 25/1
- Jorginho 33/1
- Karim Benzema 33/1
- Gianluigi Donnarumma 66/1
