Once again, Mo Salah has been overlooked by his fellow footballers for a place in the FIFPRO World XI team, meaning he has yet to feature in the lineup. Despite achieving five major honours, 204 goals, and 82 assists, Salah has failed to secure a spot as one of the world’s top 11 players in recent years. The World XI is voted for annually by players worldwide, and Salah is set to miss out once again this year. However, Virgil van Dijk has been shortlisted alongside Ruben Dias, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, John Stones, and Kyle Walker for the four defensive positions. Despite being the only player to achieve more than 15 goals and 15 assists in Europe’s big five leagues in 2023, Salah has not even been included in the shortlist. Cristiano Ronaldo, who played in the Saudi Pro League all year, and Karim Benzema, who went out there in the summer, have been selected instead, which is somewhat baffling. Although Salah has been beaten into the XI by the likes of Lionel Messi and Ronaldo in previous years, he has never made it into the lineup, demonstrating how underrated he can be. In 2023, he became the first player to reach 15 Premier League goals and assists in a calendar year since Thierry Henry in 2003. Salah has been the top Premier League player for goal involvements in four of his six years as a Liverpool player, demonstrating his consistency. While this may not be a significant concern for Liverpool fans, there is increased attention on individual accolades in the modern game. Despite never being picked for the FIFPRO World XI, Salah has won the Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year twice, PFA Player of the Year twice, Premier League Player of the Season, and the Premier League Golden Boot three times.
Mo Salah snubbed for World XI…AGAIN – after votes from 22,000 players
