Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has suggested finishing the season with multiple trophies could be the key to him winning the 2022 Ballon d’Or ahead of Karim Benzema.
Benzema, who has already won La Liga with Real Madrid this season and will be competing against Salah’s Liverpool in the Champions League, has had the most prolific campaign of his entire career to date and has spearheaded Los Blancos’ surge back to the Champions League final.
With perennial Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi likely to be out of the picture this year – the 2022 prize will be awarded before the World Cup – it is widely expected to be a straight fight between Salah and Benzema.
Salah was in the running in 2018 off the back of 44 goals in 52 games in his first season at Liverpool, but the season ended trophy-less after personal and team heartbreak in the Champions League final and the Egyptian, who also struggled at the World Cup, finished sixth overall.
“I lost last time because I scored 40 goals but we didn’t win any trophies. This time, my number is really high and we’ve already won one cup. If we win the next two, it’s going to be exciting who is going to win it,” Salah explained to Sky Sports.
The player acknowledged that the ‘rest will follow’ if Liverpool collect more silverware.
“This is my best season for me at Liverpool,” he added. “The goal and assist numbers are high and the way I created chances, the highest number in the Premier League, everything around the game has changed a lot. I don’t feel that good when the team loses games, or when I don’t score or make a difference. But when the team wins and I don’t score, I’m still very happy.”
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