Robbed again? Fans erupt as Mohamed Salah snubbed for Ballon d’Or glory

Last Updated on 23 September 2025

The dream of finally lifting the Ballon d’Or has ended in heartbreak for Mohamed Salah, once again.

Mohamed Salah had one of his most productive campaigns in recent years, was widely tipped by fans and pundits to clinch the award.

Instead, it was Ousmane Dembele who shocked the footballing world by taking home the Ballon d’Or.

For the Egyptian, it’s another near miss on football’s biggest individual stage, and for his fans, it was nothing short of a robbery.

Ousmane Dembele wins big as Mohamed Salah finishes outside top three in utter shock

The Egyptian King enjoyed another stellar season, leading Liverpool’s charge in the Premier League and produced phenomenal numbers in a tough league.

But despite the performances, Ballon d’Or voters favoured Dembele, who helped PSG win the treble, including the Champions League. Salah had to settle for a career-best fourth finish.

Most fans expected Dembele to win, but not even including Salah in the top three ignited the outrage.

PSG’s Vitinha finished third with Lamine Yamal, recording a superb campaign for a teenager, made it to second. For what it’s worth, as per FBref, Yamal’s output was a lot less compared to Salah’s and that’s why most fans expected the Egyptian to finish in the top three, at least.

Fans brand Ballon d’Or a “joke” after Mohamed Salah’s snub

Liverpool fans, in particular, took it quite personally.

Others questioned the voting criteria and the certain biases from the journalists who decide the winners. It is not a stretch as only one African player has ever won the Ballon d’Or, with George Weah’s triumph in 1995.

Even rival fans found it hard to take the top three seriously without Salah, claiming Premier League needed better PR to land these awards.

Liverpool fans will hope Salah can use this snub as fuel for another great season. If Liverpool improve on their results from last season and go all the way in the Champions League, Salah could have a better shot at winning the Ballon d’Or in 2026.