Thierry Henry makes bold claim on Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah's 2024 Ballon d'Or prospects
Arsenal icon Thierry Henry has made a bold claim regarding Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah's 2024 Ballon d'Or award prospects. The former Gunners forward declared that it would be very difficult for the Reds maestro to pick up the sport's most coveted individual prize next year.
Recall that Mohamed Salah made the 2023 Ballon d'Or award 30-man shortlist after his impressive outing last season, recording 30 goals and 16 assists across all competitions.
The Egyptian ended up finishing 11th in the rankings, with former Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi winning the award following his heroics in the World Cup last year. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland came second while PSG forward Kylian Mbappe completed the top three.
Mohamed Salah appears to be already making a case for the Ballon d'Or ahead of next year. The forward has continued firing on all cylinders for Liverpool, bagging 10 goals and four assists in 15 games across all competitions.
However, despite his efforts, Thierry Henry believes the attacker is unlikely to win the award next year. Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo, the former Arsenal forward explained:
"In a year of a big [footballing] event, a big tournament, it’s difficult for Mo Salah, for example, I saw him on the list. Although you’re going to have the Africa Cup of Nations, people watch the Euros. And on the back of the Euros it’s different, on the back of the World Cup it’s different.”
Henry definitely has a valid point. With Messi winning the Ballon d'Or following his World Cup success, it's clear that international competitions greatly influence the outcome of these awards nowadays.
That said, 2024 is a year of international competitions, with the European Championship and the Copa America both coming up. Although the AFCON will also be played, it doesn't garner as much attention as the other two, which could be to Salah's detriment in the race for the Ballon d'Or.
What's next for Mohamed Salah and Liverpool?
Liverpool will be back in action in the Europa League today (November 8) taking on French side Toulouse away from home. Mohamed Salah is expected to lead the attacking line once again.
Jurgen Klopp's men will be eager to return to winning ways after playing out a 1-1 draw with Luton Town in the Premier League at the weekend. They come into today's game as the heavy favorites, after beating Toulouse 5-1 when they clashed last month.
Liverpool currently sit at the top of the table in Group E with nine points. They've won each of their three games in the competition so far and will secure a spot in the next round if they win today.