Lionel Messi says Mohamed Salah will have 'opportunities in the years to come' after the Liverpool superstar inexplicably finished seventh in the Ballon d'Or rankings.
Salah somehow finished seventh in the Ballon d'Or rankings despite his ultra-prolific form at Liverpool.
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The Egyptian forward scored an impressive 31 goals in all competitions last season and has enjoyed a blistering start to the new campaign.
He's already bagged 17 goals this term, though his form was sadly not reflected in the Ballon d'Or standings.
Six players finished ahead of the 29-year-old, including Messi who was asked about his counterpart following the ceremony.
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Speaking after winning his seventh award, he said: "I don't know if the record is beatable.
"I just have to accept it but I'm not sure if it can be beaten."
On Salah, he added: "Salah will have opportunities in the years to come.
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"Both players [Salah and Lewandowski] are at their best at the moment and will have more chances to win it."
If Salah continues his goal-scoring ways and impresses at the Africa Cup of Nations at the start of next year, then he could be a strong contender for the coveted individual prize in 2022.
Even though Salah has been hailed as the best player in the Premier League, Chelsea's Jorginho and N'Golo Kante as well as Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo finished higher than him in the rankings.
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Though the left-footed wonder did earn a better spot than the likes of Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne and Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe.
While he didn't win the Ballon d'Or, Salah was named the winner of the 2021 Golden Foot award.
Featured Image Credit: Ballon d'Or/Football Daily/PATopics: Football, Lionel Messi, Mohamed Salah
