Gareth Bale didn't hesitate when predicting 2025 Ballon d'Or winner as Mo Salah snubbed

Gareth Bale snubbed Mohamed Salah when naming the player he thinks will win the next Ballon d'Or.

On Sunday afternoon, Salah proved to be the difference maker once again after he scored one and assisted another to help Liverpool beat Manchester City 2-0 in the Premier League.

As a result, Liverpool now hold an 11-point lead at the top of the table ahead of Arsenal, who suffered a shock defeat against West Ham United on Saturday.

Salah has played a vital role in Liverpool's charge to become Premier League champions, having scored 25 goals and assisted 16 in 27 appearances.

Speaking after the match, Sky Sports pundit and former Reds star Daniel Sturridge stated Salah has to be in the conversation to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or.

He said: "We're talking Ballon d'Or now. If we're not talking Ballon d'Or with Mohamed Salah then it's getting out of hand. We have to start putting him that conversation now and saying, I don't even know if he's had a top five vote or a top three vote yet."

Earlier in the season, former Madrid and Wales superstar Bale snubbed Salah when he was asked to pick his 2025 Ballon d'Or winner.

Gareth Bale names his favourite to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or

When asked by ex-Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand back in November 2024: "Who wins the next Ballon d’Or?", Bale replied: "[Kylian] Mbappe."

A stunned Ferdinand simply said: "Wow."

Sturridge was not the only one tipping Salah for the big award, legendary manager Arsene Wenger added: "He scored the goal and made an assist, I read somewhere he contributed, with his goals and assists, to 31 points of Liverpool this season.

"You cannot rule him out for any special award, this guy is exceptional. What I love the most in his career [is] he became better and better every year. More clinical, he does less quantity [at City] but he doesn’t lose in quality."

Mo Salah has enjoyed a stellar season at Liverpool. Image: Getty

Wenger continued: "What I like in his career, in his development, he has found a good balance between obsession to score goals and giving the ball.

"You know we had the period between him and Mane, there were tensions because everybody tried to score without passing the ball, and he understands that to be really great he is also to contribute. He’s done that extremely well."

Salah and Liverpool will be back in Premier League action on Wednesday night when they take on Newcastle United at Anfield.