Mohamed Salah (Born 15 June 1992) is an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Liverpool and the Egyptian national team.
Salah started his senior career with hometown club El Mokawloon in the Egyptian Premier League in 2010, departing shortly thereafter to join Basel for an undisclosed fee. In Switzerland, he starred as he won the league title in his debut season, winning the SAFP Golden Player Award in the process. Salah’s performances then attracted Premier League side Chelsea, and subsequently signed for the team for a £11 million fee in 2014. However, he was used sparingly in his debut season, and was allowed to leave on loan to Serie A clubs Fiorentina and Roma, with the latter eventually signing him permanently for €15 million.
Following consistent match-winning performances in Rome to lead them to second-placed finish and a record points-tally in 2017, Salah relocated back to the Premier League to sign for Liverpool for a then club-record fee of £36.9 million. During his second spell in England, Salah adapted his game from a natural winger to a complete forward, and quickly became the focal point of the team. He would go on to break the club’s scoring record for a debut season, as well as becoming the first player ever to win three Premier League Player of the Month awards in the same season. He would further go onto be named in the 2017–18 PFA Team of the Year and as the 2017–18 PFA Players’ Player of the Year, PFA Fans’ Player of the Year, Football Writers’ Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season, while also being the recipient of the Premier League Golden Boot after registering a record 32 goals in 36 league games.
At international level, Salah represented Egypt at youth level, winning a bronze medal in the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations, and participated in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2012 Summer Olympics. He was awarded the CAF Most Promising African Talent of the Year in 2012.
Making his debut with the senior national team in 2011, he helped Egypt reach the final of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, and he became the top scorer during CAF qualification to help the team qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. For his performances, Salah was named CAF African Footballer of the Year and the BBC African Footballer of the Year. He was also selected in the CAF Team of the Year and Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament.
Mohammed Salah married Maggi in 2013. Their daughter, Makka, born in 2014. Her daughter is named in honor of the Islamic holy city. Salah is Muslim and often celebrates goals by performing the sujood. Liverpool fans created a chant to the tune of Dodgy’s “Good Enough”, saying that if Salah continued to score goals, they would convert to Islam. Salah gave his approval to the chant, and it has been cited as an example of inclusivity. While Salah is devout to a degree that many other well-known Muslims sports figures are not, his charm and apolitical persona have made him a popular figure in Britain.
Salah is nicknamed “The Pharaoh” by the press and his fans. More recently, Salah was given the nickname “Egyptian King” by Liverpool supporters arising from a chant set to the tune of “Sit Down” by English band James.