Mohamed Salah, winger of the first football team of Liverpool and the Egyptian national team, confirmed that he was undoubtedly sad and shocked by the result of the Ballon d'Or awards for the best player in the world. However, he emphasized that the support from the fans and their opinions of him after the award is what matters most to him.
Salah stated in television remarks aired on Thursday that the results of the awards caused him sadness, as "no one expected that I would not win the award, but the feeling of everyone regarding that is enough for me." He added: "I do not lean towards conspiracy theories, nor do I feel that anyone is against me, and I may not even know on what basis the selections are made."
Salah ranked seventh in the award standings, which was won by Argentine Lionel Messi. He explained that he succeeded in something important, which is changing the perceptions of many Egyptians about the possibility of achieving significant accomplishments in the world of professional football in European leagues.
He continued: "I faced great difficulties in my professional journey starting from Switzerland, but I sat alone and challenged all the circumstances, and I vowed that I would not return and would pursue my dream."
Salah expressed that he is extremely happy to participate with his national team in every match and considers it an honor to wear the Pharaohs' jersey. He added: "The most important match for me was against Congo, which we won, and it qualified us for the 2018 World Cup, bringing joy to millions of the Egyptian people."
