No one has had a season quite like Salah. His 44 goals are easily of Messi or Ronaldo-standard in both quantity and quality. Should Salah help the Reds bring back the big trophy to Anfield for a sixth time, then even those who vote for the elusive Ballon d’Or might just have to bow down to the Egyptian king. LONDON: A flick. A subtle nod. A tap into the open net. Mohamed Salah’s brilliant, impudent goal against Porto in the Champions League round of 16 did more than help Liverpool to a commanding 5-0 first-leg lead. It also sparked comparisons with a certain Argentine number 10. As Liverpool qualified for their first quarterfinal appearance in Europe’s premier competition in 10 years, Salah could do no wrong, the label “Messi-esque” increasingly being used to describe his game and goals. For many, even Liverpool fans, this seemed premature. It was before Liverpool’s quarterfinal tie with Manchester City in March, as he racked up goal after goal, and award after award, that serious comparisons with this century’s two greatest players began. The comparisons with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remain unnecessary. Salah, many maintain, has some way to go before he can be mentioned alongside two players whose achievements have been peerless for well over a decade. Yet the 25-year-old Egyptian continued to meet every challenge, pass every test, and obliterate ever obstacle placed in his way in what has turned out to be a historic season. In April, a seemingly unstoppable Manchester City were swept aside in the Champions League quarterinals, Salah scoring in both legs, the second ending the tie as contest in front of a stunned Etihad Stadium. Incredibly, Salah would hit even greater heights in the first leg of the semifinal against Roma at Anfield. The Kop’s new idol scored two stunning goals in the first half and reduced his former teammates to a defensive wreck by setting up goals for Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in the second. It was a truly devastating performance from a player at the peak of his powers. Acclaim poured from every direction, and so did the accolades. PFA Player’s Player of the year. The FWA Player of the Year, Premier League Player of the year, and the Premier League Golden Boot award, not to mention many more weekly and monthly awards. So why not the Ballon d’Or? The main factor against him seems to be that his name is neither Messi nor Ronaldo, the winners of the past 10 gongs between them. And it is hard to make case against them, beyond familiarity breeding contempt. Also, rightly or wrongly, the Ballon d’Or often goes to the player that has had the biggest impact on the destination of major club and international trophies. Messi has already claimed a La Liga and Copa del Rey double with Barcelona in Spain, and Ronaldo’s Real Madrid will go head to head with Salah’s Liverpool in the Champions League final on Saturday. But in many ways, there is a strong case for Salah deserving the award regardless of the outcome in Kiev. Whatever your thoughts on individual awards — and many see them as an indulgence — they are there to reward individual performances, not to complement medals won already. Likewise, they are not lifetime awards, they are seasonal. And no one has had a season quite like Salah. His 44 goals are easily of Messi or Ronaldo-standard in both quantity and quality. Add the fact they have been racked up with only one penalty and no free-kicks and the numbers are sensational. Above all, Salah has done it all without compromising Jurgen Klopp’s team-first ethos, consistently providing assists for his teammates and playing his part in the German coach’s famed gegenpress system. On Saturday, Liverpool will face Real Madrid as underdogs, just as they would prefer it. No doubt, Klopp and Salah would give up every one of those individual awards for a glorious night in Kiev. Yet should Salah help the Reds bring back the big trophy to Anfield for a sixth time, then even those who vote for the elusive Ballon d’Or might just have to bow down to the Egyptian king.