From 4th to forgotten: How a difficult Liverpool farewell cost Salah his Ballon d'Or spot

Trabzonspor forward Mohamed Salah has been omitted from the 30 man nominee list for the 2026 Ballon d'Or published by France Football marking only the second time since 2018 that he has failed to make the shortlist.

Read Also: A 25 year wait is over: Mohamed Salah shatters Trabzonspor record in historic start

A difficult final season at Liverpool

Salah’s absence follows a challenging 2025 /26 campaign with Liverpool which ended without silverware and resulted in the dismissal of manager Arne Slot who has since been replaced by Andoni Iraola.

The 34 year old registered 12 goal in 41 appearance across all competitions including just seven in the Premier League.

The output marked a sharp contrast to his prolific 2024 /25 season when he netted 34 goal in 52 match to guide Liverpool to the league title.

The 2026 shortlist also saw other high profile omissions including Al Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

World Cup milestone dails to offset club struggles

On the international stage, Salah captained the Egypt national team to a historic achievement at the World Cup 2026, reaching the Round of 16 for the first time in the nation’s history before being eliminated by Argentina.

Over five tournament appearances, the forward recorded one goal and two assists. However, the international milestone proved insufficient to compensate for his reduced domestic output and Liverpool's broader collective struggles during voting consideration.

A decorated history and a lifelong ambition

Salah's omission marks a departure from his consistent presence among the world's elite over the past decade.

After finishing sixth in 2018 and fifth in 2019, he placed seventh in 2021 and fifth in 2022. Following an 11th place finish in 2023 and an absence from the 2024 list won by Rodri, Salah rebounded in 2025 to claim fourth place overall in the ranking topped by Ousmane Dembélé.

Throughout his career, Salah has spoken openly about his desire to bring the award home to Egypt.

"I want to win the Ballon d'Or for my fans, this idea has not left my mind for years.. When you play in the streets in Egypt, you do not see yourself winning the Ballon d'Or. I think the first time I started thinking about it was when my agent, Ramy, told me that I could achieve this and I started believing it more when I came to Liverpool" Salah stated in 2025.

He had echoed similar sentiments in 2022, highlighting the wider cultural impact of the accolade:

"One of my goals in life is to change people, especially in my country, an Arab country, so they can achieve what they want. These things give them greater belief in themselves and that they can do whatever they want"

Is the Ballon d'Or dream over?

With his departure from Anfield to Turkish side Trabzonspor, Salah faces an uphill battle to return to the Ballon d'Or stage.

The French award historically favours decisive performers in Europe’s top five leagues and deep runs in the UEFA Champions League. With Trabzonspor currently absent from major continental competition, the 34 year old’s path back to individual global honours appears effectively closed, shifting his legacy to the historic numbers he recorded during his prime in England.

Khaled Hegazy |

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Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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