Mohamed Salah misses Ballon d’Or shortlist again as Egypt star’s dream fades

Egypt captain Mohamed Salah has been omitted from the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist, raising fresh questions over whether the 34-year-old will ever get another realistic opportunity to win football’s most prestigious individual award.

The nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or were announced on Tuesday by France Football in collaboration with UEFA, with Salah’s absence widely expected following a difficult season by his usual standards.

It is the second time the Egyptian star has missed out on the nomination list, having also been excluded from the 2024 edition.

Difficult season affects Salah’s chances

Salah endured a relatively disappointing final season at Liverpool before moving to Turkish side Trabzonspor.

The former Liverpool forward played 41 matches across all competitions, scoring 12 goals, including seven in the Premier League.

Those figures marked a significant decline from the previous campaign, when he scored 34 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions.

A lack of team trophies and reduced individual numbers further weakened his chances of securing a place among the Ballon d’Or nominees.

World Cup achievement not enough

Salah nevertheless enjoyed a historic moment with Egypt at international level, helping the Pharaohs reach the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in the nation’s history.

However, his individual contribution at the tournament was limited.

The Egyptian captain scored once and provided two assists in five appearances during the competition.

Ultimately, Egypt’s historic World Cup achievement was not enough to secure Salah a place on the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist.

Second absence from the prestigious award

Salah was previously omitted from the nominees for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, which was won by Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri.

However, the Egyptian has been nominated for the award on six occasions, with all of those nominations coming during his highly successful spell at Liverpool.

His best finish came in 2025, when he finished fourth after helping Liverpool win the Premier League title. Ousmane Dembélé eventually won that edition.

Salah’s Ballon d’Or history

Salah first received a Ballon d’Or nomination in 2018 after an outstanding debut season at Liverpool, finishing sixth.

He was nominated again in 2019 following Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League triumph and finished fifth.

The award was cancelled in 2020, the same year Salah won his first Premier League title.

He returned to the shortlist in 2021 and finished seventh before achieving fifth place in 2022.

Salah’s lowest ranking came in 2023, when he finished 11th.

Mohamed Salah’s Ballon d’Or record:

• 2018: 6th
• 2019: 5th
• 2020: Award cancelled
• 2021: 7th
• 2022: 5th
• 2023: 11th
• 2024: Not nominated
• 2025: 4th
• 2026: Not nominated

Is the Ballon d’Or dream over?

Salah’s move to Trabzonspor has further complicated his prospects of challenging for the award again.

At 34, and playing for a club unlikely to compete regularly for major European trophies, the Egyptian faces a considerably more difficult path back into Ballon d’Or contention.

His best opportunity arguably came during his Liverpool years, particularly in 2025 when he finished fourth and came closest to becoming the first Arab player to win the prestigious award.

Salah remains one of Africa’s greatest modern footballers and has won the African Golden Ball twice, in 2017 and 2018.

But after a second omission from the Ballon d’Or shortlist, the question for Egyptian and African football fans is whether one of the continent’s biggest stars has already seen his best opportunity to claim football’s ultimate individual prize pass him by.