Mohamed Salah has finished in 11th position for this year’s Ballon d’Or, with the Liverpool winger overlooked at the top of the pile once again.
The annual ceremony took place on Monday evening in Paris, with Salah the only Reds player named on the 30-man shortlist.
It is the fifth year the 31-year-old has been up for the award – as long as he has been at Anfield, having shown remarkable levels of consistency for the club.
The Ballon d’Or is not the most accurate of awards, though it is regarded as the most prestigious individual honour that can be bestowed upon a player.
It is voted for by journalists, national team coaches and captains and Salah finished in 11th place for 2023, with Lionel Messi collecting the award for the eighth time.
Incredibly, Salah has never placed inside the top three for the Ballon d’Or, with fifth his highest finish in both 2019 and 2022 – a nod to how he is under appreciated away from Anfield.
Speaking last year, Salah admitted he was shocked at being snubbed with a seventh-place vote:
“It shocked me, but there’s nothing I can say,” Salah said.
“No one in the world expected that I would be seventh, but that’s what happened.”
For only the second time, the award has been based on the results of the season instead of the calendar year, during which time Salah scored 30 times and set up another 16 for the Reds.
As a team, 2022/23 was a season to forget, but the Egyptian ended the campaign with more than 30 goal contributions for a sixth season in a row.
The last Liverpool player to win the award was Michael Owen in 2001, while Virgil van Dijk (2019) and Sadio Mane (2022) have both finished as runners-up.
Here’s a look at how some fans reacted to Salah’s questionable position in the standings:
There are not 10 better players in the world than Salah. https://t.co/tFXYNgMHBo
— Red (@TaintlessRed) October 30, 2023
11th in the Ballon D’or despite achieving 45 G/A last season, 3rd highest behind Mbappe and Haaland, with the worst Liverpool side he has played under since arriving.
Mo Salah has been disrespected again in these awards again. Disgraceful. pic.twitter.com/7WaLhHKNp8
— Samuel (@SamueILFC) October 30, 2023
According to @goal Mohamed Salah has finished 19th in the Ballon d’Or rankings!?
Forever disrespected. pic.twitter.com/dHEeB0nZqt
— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) October 30, 2023
Apparently there’s 10 other human beings on the planet who are better at football than Mo Salah? pic.twitter.com/k4RfsZXvXz
— The Kop Watch (@TheKopWatch) October 30, 2023
Salah had 45 g/a’s in 22/23 and finished 11th in ballon d’or what a joke pic.twitter.com/6DRxYslvMk
— E4 (@LFC_ERYAN) October 30, 2023
?| OFFICIAL: Mo Salah ranked 11th in the #BallonDor
We're coming for top spot next year. ? pic.twitter.com/dwn55U4b20
— – (@JoshLFC1909) October 30, 2023
i need Salah to win the Ballon’Dor before he leaves man
— J7 (@lfcJ7_) October 30, 2023
Congratulations to Mohamed Salah for being the most underrated player in world football for so many years.
— – (@AnfieldRd96) October 30, 2023
Jude Bellingham won the ‘Kopa Trophy’ for Young Player.
Ballon d’Or Top 30 List
1. Lionel Messi (Argentina and PSG/Inter Miami)
2. Erling Haaland (Norway and Manchester City)
3. Kylian Mbappe (France and PSG)
4. Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium and Manchester City)
5. Rodri (Spain and Manchester City)
6. Vinicius Jr (Brazil and Real Madrid)
7. Julian Alvarez (Argentina and Manchester City)
8. Victor Osimhen (Nigeria and Napoli)
9. Bernardo Silva (Portugal and Manchester City)
10. Luka Modric (Croatia and Real Madrid)
11. Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool)
12. Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Barcelona)
13. Yassine Bounou (Morocco, Sevilla/Al-Hilal)
14. Ilkay Gundogan (Germany, Manchester City/Barcelona)
15. Emiliano Martinez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
16. Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid/Al-Ittihad)
17. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia, Napoli)
18. Jude Bellingham (England, Borussia Dortmund/Real Madrid)
19. Harry Kane (England, Tottenham/Bayern Munich)
20. Lautaro Martinez (Argentina, Inter Milan)
21. Antoine Griezmann (France, Atletico Madrid)
22. Min-jae Kim (South Korea, Napoli/Bayern Munich)
23. Andre Onana (Cameroon, Inter Milan/Manchester United)
24. Bukayo Saka (England, Arsenal)
25. Josko Gvardiol (Croatia, Leipzig/Manchester City)
26. Jamal Musiala (Germany, Bayern Munich)
27. Nicolo Barella (Italy, Inter Milan)
28. Martin Odegaard (Norway, Arsenal)
28. Randal Kolo Muani (France, Eintracht Frankfurt/Paris St-Germain)
30. Ruben Dias (Portugal, Manchester City)
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