Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah insists winning the Ballon d’Or will not make or break his career but admits he thinks about it.
The Liverpool forward, who scored over 32 goals in the recently concluded campaign is amongst the favourites to lift the coveted trophy on September 22.
The former Chelsea and FC Basel attacker picked up his record-equalling fourth Golden Boot.
That puts him firmly in the reckoning for more personal honours, and the 33-year-old told France Football: “If I win it, it would be great. If I don’t win it, I think my career will also be very good.
“But that image is in my head, always. I just want to win it for my people. That’s the thing that’s stuck in my head.”
But Salah faces stiff competition from a number of stars from across Europe as he aims to add his name to the list of winners.
Ousmane Dembele is the favourite with the bookmakers after helping Paris Saint-Germain lift their first UEFA Champions League crown.
Spanish teenager Lamine Yamal, who won a domestic treble with Barcelona in 2024/25 and could make history if he lifts the trophy.
For Salah, who grew up playing football with his brother in the Egyptian village of Nagrig, it took a while for the possibility of winning football’s greatest individual honour to sink in.
“It wasn’t in my head when I was that young, because when you play in Egypt on the street, you don’t see yourself winning the Ballon d’Or,” Salah said.
“The first time it triggered was when Ramy [Abbas, Salah’s agent] spoke to me about it.
“I think I started to believe it more in Liverpool, not in Rome.
“Several winners in recent years have been in their thirties. So, who knows?
“And then, next season promises to be exciting with the defence of our title with Liverpool and the Champions League, AFCON with Egypt and the World Cup.”
