May 28, Kathmandu – Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian football star who has made a mark in European football through outstanding performances in the Swiss League and UEFA Champions League, is set to lead Egypt in their quest for their first win at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Salah’s journey began when he joined Swiss club Basel on his 20th birthday, before signing with Chelsea two years later, where he struggled to make an impact. He then moved to Fiorentina in Italy, and after impressing there, he signed with Roma. At Roma, Salah established himself as a world-class attacker, scoring 55 goals in 83 matches.
In 2017, Liverpool signed Salah, and in his debut season, he scored 44 goals — the highest tally for a Liverpool player in a single season in 34 years. Eleven of these goals came in European competitions, helping Liverpool reach the Champions League final for the first time since 2007. Salah continued to score consistently in the following seasons, netting at least 23 goals in every full campaign. He surpassed Liverpool legends Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, and Gordon Hodgson to become the club’s third-highest all-time scorer. In November 2025, he notched his 250th goal for Liverpool in a victory against Aston Villa.
During the 2017/18 Premier League season, Salah set a record by scoring 32 goals in 38 games, which was later surpassed by Erling Haaland’s 36-goal haul. Salah remains the highest-scoring African player in both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, overtaking Didier Drogba in these categories. He is the second player to win the Premier League Golden Boot four times, clinching the award in 2017/18, 2018/19, 2021/22, and 2024/25, a feat previously only achieved by Arsenal’s Thierry Henry. Salah also became the first and only African player to win the 2018 Puskás Award.
He earned the Premier League Player of the Month award a joint-record seven times during the 2017/18 season. Sharing this record with Sergio Agüero and Harry Kane, Salah is also one of the few players alongside Kevin De Bruyne to have won the Premier League Playmaker of the Season award twice or more, given to the player with the most assists. Moreover, Salah and Kane are the only players to have won both the Golden Boot and Playmaker of the Season awards in the same Premier League season. In the 2024/25 season, Salah set a new record for most goal contributions with 29 goals and 18 assists. In December 2025, he registered his 277th Premier League goal contribution for Liverpool, surpassing Wayne Rooney and becoming the club’s all-time leader in combined goals and assists for a single Premier League team.
On the international stage, Salah is Egypt’s second-highest scorer with 67 goals, second only to the current national coach, Hossam Hassan. He also holds the African record for most goals in FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with 20 goals. Salah played a crucial role in helping Egypt qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, their first appearance in 28 years, scoring five goals in the qualifying phase, including two in the decisive match against Congo. Unfortunately, injury prevented him from playing at full fitness during the tournament, though he still left a mark by scoring a penalty against hosts Russia in a 3-1 defeat. This was Egypt’s first World Cup goal since their 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in 1990.
In the match against Saudi Arabia, Salah scored early to give Egypt a 1-0 lead, becoming the first Egyptian player since Faouzi in the 1934 World Cup to score in open play at the tournament. He was also the first Egyptian to score more than one goal in a single World Cup edition. Despite his performance, Egypt lost the match 2-1.
Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup, Egypt aims to secure their first-ever victory in the tournament. The North African team has played seven World Cup matches to date, with two draws and five losses. Salah, who will turn 34 one day before Egypt’s opening game against New Zealand, is viewed as the key to ending this disappointing streak. He will be supported by Manchester City star Omar Marmoush and the speedy Tresegat, forming a potent attacking lineup capable of pressuring any defense. Experienced goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, defender Rami Rabia, and midfielder Hamdi Fathi are expected to provide a seasoned backbone for the team.
