Mohamed Salah reveals reason behind Vinicius Junior vote for The Best award - with Liverpool superstar hoping he can win Ballon d'Or at some stage after Rodri snub

As captain of the Egypt national team, Salah formed part of the poll that resulted in Vinicius walking away with The Best FIFA Men's Player award. However, journalists voted Manchester City midfielder Rodri as the Ballon d'Or winner a few months earlier. His Premier League title-winning exploits, alongside a Euro 2024 triumph with Spain, saw him come away with a prestigious prize.

Many have questioned why Brazilian forward Vinicius was nudged into second place, with the South American helping Real Madrid to La Liga and Champions League titles. Salah was among those to offer his support to a ‘Galactico’ at Santiago Bernabeu.

Quizzed on that vote by TNT Sports Mexico, Salah – who remains a talismanic presence for Premier League leaders Liverpool - said: "Vinicius Jr is a very good player, that’s why! He’s improving every year and hopefully he can continue… I voted for him because he deserves it."

Salah has finished fifth in the Ballon d’Or vote on two occasions, but is considered to be an early frontrunner for the 2025 award after hitting the 20-goal mark at Anfield for an eighth successive season. He added on winning a Golden Ball at some stage: "Best in the world? It’s tricky! People have different preferences. I always see myself as the best and I want to give my best for the team."

It remains to be seen where Salah will be playing his football when the 2025 Ballon d’Or is handed out, with the 32-year-old seeing a move away from Liverpool speculated on as his lucrative contract on Merseyside runs down towards free agency.