Mohamed Salah’s Exclusion from the FIFPRO World 11 is a Scandalous Disgrace, Reflecting a Deep-Seated Bias Against True Greatness in Football!
The recent decisions surrounding Mohamed Salah, particularly his exclusion from the FIFPRO World 11, have ignited a firestorm of debate among football fans and analysts alike. Salah, often hailed as one of the greatest players of his generation, has seen his contributions to the sport overshadowed by a voting system that seems to favor flash over substance. This situation raises critical questions about how we define greatness in football and who gets to decide it.
Salah’s performance during the 2024/25 season was nothing short of extraordinary. He not only clinched the Premier League top goalscorer award for the fourth time but also secured the Playmaker award, recognizing him as the player with the most assists. His remarkable tally of 29 goals and 18 assists in a single season is a testament to his versatility and skill, making him a pivotal figure in Liverpool’s title-winning campaign. This achievement was historic; no player had ever won all three major Premier League awards in the same season, underscoring the magnitude of his accomplishments.
Despite these accolades, Salah’s absence from the FIFPRO World 11 is shocking. This award, voted on by players worldwide, should reflect the best of the best, yet Salah’s exclusion raises eyebrows. The players who did make the cut, such as Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, and Cole Palmer, have sparked controversy. While Mbappe had a prolific scoring season, he failed to secure any major titles in 2025, a stark contrast to Salah’s trophy-laden year. The decision to include players based on their popularity or marketability rather than their actual contributions on the field is a disservice to the sport and its integrity.
Lamine Yamal, another name on the list, showcased his talent with Barcelona, contributing significantly to their success. However, his nine league goals pale in comparison to Salah’s output. The argument can be made that while Yamal’s potential is immense, his consistency and overall impact during the season do not match Salah’s. The inclusion of Cole Palmer, who had a modest season with Chelsea, further complicates the narrative. Palmer’s selection seems to stem from Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup victory rather than his individual performance in the Premier League. This raises questions about the criteria used for such prestigious awards and whether they truly reflect a player’s season.
The broader implications of Salah’s exclusion extend beyond individual accolades. It reflects a systemic issue within football, where players from certain clubs or leagues receive preferential treatment. The bias against players from the Premier League, particularly those who may not fit the mold of a traditional superstar, is evident. Salah, a player who has consistently delivered at the highest level, finds himself overlooked in favor of players who may have had less impactful seasons but are more marketable or have higher profiles.
This situation is reminiscent of historical biases in sports, where certain athletes have been marginalized despite their achievements. The narrative surrounding Salah is not just about one player; it speaks to a larger issue of recognition and respect within the sport. The football community must grapple with how it values contributions and whether it is truly reflective of a player’s impact on the game.
As the debate rages on, one cannot help but wonder what it will take for Salah to receive the respect he deserves. Breaking records and achieving personal milestones may not be enough in a landscape where popularity often trumps performance. Perhaps it will require a significant achievement on the international stage, such as leading Egypt to victory in the Africa Cup of Nations or the World Cup, to finally shift the narrative in his favor.
The football world is watching closely as this story unfolds. Salah’s journey is emblematic of the struggles faced by many athletes who find themselves fighting for recognition in a system that often overlooks true greatness. The need for a more equitable and fair recognition system in football has never been more pressing. As fans, players, and analysts continue to discuss and debate these issues, the hope is that the sport can evolve to honor those who truly deserve it, regardless of their club affiliation or marketability. The time has come for a reckoning in how we celebrate and acknowledge the legends of the game.
Certainly the way the game has voted against the Egyptian King in recent months seems to suggest so.
The 33-year-old did not travel to Paris in order to attend the recent Ballon d’Or gala. It was of course a foregone conclusion – with treble-winner Ousmane Dembele carrying off the France Football award in his home country.
Salah finished FOURTH – adrift of not only Dembele and PSG teammate Vitinha on the podium but also Lamine Yamal. The season before he didn’t even make the 30-man shortlist.
Salah’s superhuman season
But it’s Salah’s omission from the recently published FIFPRO World 11 that truly beggars belief. Bear in mind that this award is for 2025 – and so covers the majority of Salah’s incredible 2024/25 Premier League-winning season.
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We’ve established previously that this was – hands down – the greatest attacking season in the league’s history.
To recap: Salah won the Premier League top goalscorer award – his fourth we might add. He also won the Premier League “Playmaker” award – offered to the player who clocked up the most assists.
He won the Premier League Player of the Season award for good measure. It was the first time EVER the same player won all three awards. In total he hit 29 goals and 18 assists – making it 47 goal contributions in a 38-game season.
That’s the biggest number of goals and assists combined since Andy Cole hit the same number in a 42-game season back in 1994.
Bear with us, there’s more.
Overall he had 57 goal contributions in 53 games. He was named the English football writers’ player of the year as well as the players’ player of the year.
Mo Salah was PEERLESS in a title-winning season. That he was denied a Ballon d’Or was a scandal. That he hasn’t been named in the FIFPRO World 11 is beyond a joke.
Salah omission from the FIFPRO World 11
So who did make it?
Let’s not quibble with Dembele. But we can certainly talk about Salah not getting in to the team when Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and Cole Palmer made it.
Mbappe had a very good first season in Madrid – scoring 44 times. But he won nothing in 2025. His only title to date came in 2024 – when Madrid won the UEFA Super Cup.
The need to accommodate Mbappe in the lineup meanwhile cost Carlo Ancelotti his job – and pushed Madrid from LaLiga and Champions League winners to also-rans.
Give me a break.
Then there’s Yamal. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Yamal. He is a world-class talent and without him Barcelona probably wouldn’t have won the double in 2024/25.
He got 18 goals and astonishing 25 assists for the Catalans in all competitions. But nine league goals? Come on. No doubt he had moments of magic – but his season lacked consistency in comparison to Salah.
© IMAGO
Palmer instead of Salah is a disgrace
But the most egregious inclusion of all was Cole Palmer – and right in Salah’s position too. Let’s clear it up straightaway that Palmer is in this team because of the FIFA Club World Cup win that Chelsea experienced against PSG over the summer.
And to give Palmer his dues, he performed excellently in that tournament and especially in the final against the treble-winners. However there is no way in hell he deserves to be on this list instead of Salah.
He got one goal and three assists in his final 16 games of the Premier League season for Chelsea. He was influential in the UEFA Conference League – to his credit – but that is not the big-boy competition.
This is the 2025 FIFPRO Men’s #World11, voted by players worldwide.
🇮🇹 Gianluigi Donnarumma
🇲🇦 @AchrafHakimi
🇵🇹 Nuno Mendes
🇳🇱 @VirgilvDijk🏴 @BellinghamJude
🏴 Cole Palmer
🇪🇸 @Pedri
🇵🇹 @Vitinha🇫🇷 @DemBouz
🇫🇷 @KMbappe
🇪🇸 Lamine Yamal pic.twitter.com/yDeqAfQz2y— FIFPRO (@FIFPRO) November 3, 2025
What’s it going to take for Salah to be respected?
The Premier League is. Palmer’s inclusion is for the want of a better word – a disgrace. It’s a disgrace to everyone who voted for him and him being in the team only serves to disrespect Mo Salah even further.
What’s it going to take – for Salah’s superhuman endeavours to be appreciated by the world at large – including his fellow pros?
Breaking every record in the book won’t do it; maybe he needs Egypt to win the Afcon and upcoming World Cup as well as leading the Reds to a treble.
Even then, don’t hold your breath. There will be another flavour of the month around to steal his thunder.