Mohamed Salah's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or have become a topic of debate after Liverpool exited the Champions League.

Here, ECHO writers debate whether or not Salah's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or have been harmed because of Liverpool's Champions League exit.

Mark Wakefield

There is no doubt in my mind that Mohamed Salah remains the best player on the planet this season, regardless of the defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.



If a 20th league crown is secured for the Reds, Salah will have played a major role in making that happen.

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In my opinion, being part of a team that wins the Champions League should not be the defining factor in winning the Ballon d'Or.

It helps if that player does something to get their team over the line, of course, but it's not the be-all and end-all.

Richard Garnett

At the start of this week I would have argued that Mohamed Salah was the front-runner for this year's Ballon d'Or, but Liverpool's early exit from the Champions League will certainly have a detrimental effect on his chances.

It seems unlikely that history will repeat itself, but there is precedent for a player winning the Ballon d'Or in the relative absence of club success.

Stephen Killen

Champions League or not, it's hard to ignore Mohamed Salah as a bonafide contender for the Ballon d'Or.

Likewise with Raphinha, who Thierry Henry tipped as a leading contender after his double helped Barcelona progress.

If the Liverpool star needs any more motivation, those writing him off should spur him on to break those records before him at Anfield and in the Premier League to complete guiding the Reds to an unlikely top-flight success.

Mohamed Salah would only have to look at Rodri's Ballon d'Or-winning campaign last season to realise that Champions League success is not the be-all and end-all of the prestigious individual award.

The Manchester City and Spain international was, of course, named as the winner of the 2024 award ahead of Real Madrid duo Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham.

In the 2023-24 season, Rodri's success at the Etihad - a fourth consecutive Premier League - and a Euro 2024 triumph with Spain was enough to see him win the award.

So even after Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday night, Salah should not fear that his chances of winning the golden ball are over.

The Egyptian is enjoying one of the best individual campaigns in Premier League history, with his 44 goal contributions largely responsible for Liverpool sitting 15 points clear of Arsenal.

Indeed, should the Egyptian continue to fire the goals that lead the Reds to just a second Premier League title in five years, it will be hard to overlook such a historic campaign by those dishing out the prestigious individual awards at the end of the calendar year.

Salah, of course, will be in with a shout
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