"We are proud" - Egypt's Sports minister explains key similarity between Mo Salah, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Ashraf Sobhy, the Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports, has likened Liverpool star Mohamed Salah's professionalism to that of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi and Ronaldo are arguably two of the best players of all time, having won 12 Ballons d'Ors between them. Apart from all the accolades to their name, they have won countless trophies with both club and country.
At 35 and 38, the Argentinian and the Portuguese are nearing the end of their illustrious careers. However, they continue to compete at the highest level, scoring goal after goal.
Lionel Messi recently took his goalscoring tally in international football to 102 with a hat-trick against Curacao. Meanwhile, no player has scored more goals than Cristiano Ronaldo (122) for their country.
Sobhy has now heaped praise on Messi and Ronaldo for their unparalleled professionalism. The Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports pointed out how the duo continues to work hard despite being as rich as several countries across the globe. He told Radio Misr 88.7 (via FilGoal):
"(Players who display) the maximum level of professionalism is Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, they've reached the top but they continue to make efforts, even though they have money equal to the budgets of countries."
Sobhy added that fellow countryman Salah is among the few players who can match Messi and Ronaldo's worth ethic. The Egyptian also explained that he takes pride in the Liverpool star's success, saying:
"The same applies to Mohamed Salah, of whom we're proud. There's no foreign official or ambassador who begins his dialog with me without telling me about him. He does not give up and gets back up quickly, whatever the circumstances."
Godfrey Chitalu
Kinnah Phiri
Hossam Hassan
Didier Drogba
Asamoah Gyan
Seven African players have scored 50+ goals in men's international football:
🇿🇲 Godfrey Chitalu
🇲🇼 Kinnah Phiri
🇪🇬 Hossam Hassan
🇨🇮 Didier Drogba
🇨🇲 Samuel Eto'o
🇬🇭 Asamoah Gyan
🇪🇬 Mohamed Salah
@MoSalah has joined an exclusive club. 🌍 https://t.co/00UWrfu4xI
Salah scored his 50th goal for Egypt during the recently concluded international break, becoming one of only seven African players to achieve the feat.
What next for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had a fruitful time with their respective national teams during the break. Both players led their sides to wins and registered five goal contributions apiece.
The superstars will now return to action with their respective clubs in the coming days. Messi's Paris Saint-Germain face Olympique Lyon in Ligue 1 on Sunday (April 2), while Ronaldo's Al-Nassr take on Al-Adalah in the Saudi Pro League on Tuesday (April 4).
There is a possibility that Messi could follow Ronaldo to the Saudi Pro League this summer, with Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad interested in signing him. The Argentinian's future at PSG is uncertain as his contract expires at the end of the season.