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Salah, the free star who still shines: Between the Arab call and the European desire
2026-06-22 22:48:47 / SPORT
Mo Salah's smile this time is not a secret. He has just led Egypt to their first ever World Cup victory, a 3-1 win over New Zealand, with the Pharaoh of Football contributing a goal and an assist. "What we did for us is history," he said. "For other teams it's normal, but for us Egyptians it's never happened before and I'm happy to say we did it." Behind Salah's smile in Vancouver, however, lies the certainty that his performance, so important for his national team, serves another purpose: to remind the football world that, at 34, Mo can still play at a high level. And that anyone who wants to help him write the next chapter of his personal story can safely bet on him. This brilliant performance comes at a key moment in his career, highlighting his ability to influence games and be a leader on the pitch, regardless of his age.
Salah appeared in the second World Cup of his career (the first in 2018, 2 games and 2 goals) as a free agent, after the end of his legendary adventure with Liverpool. The future, at least officially, remains a question mark, given that Mo has always avoided questions on the subject and that before Egypt's debut, his agent Ramy Abbas explained on social media that "Mo is very well and neither he nor I want to discuss plans for his future with people who are not directly involved. Both he and I are very reserved about these things. Yes, people can ask about his future and maybe get a polite and standard answer, but there will be nothing else." In Vancouver, after the match with New Zealand, no one asked, postponing Mo's future until after the tournament. A return to Liverpool is out of the question, even though Arne Slot, Salah's "enemy" last season, was sacked and replaced by Andoni Iraola, a coach who has built his and Bournemouth's fortunes on talented wingers like Mo.
The match against New Zealand could represent Salah's tactical evolution, more as a No. 10, like the jersey he wears for the national team, than as a right-winger like in recent years with the Reds. "I am the first coach to make Salah play in a position that suits him best," stressed coach Hassam Hassan. "We have worked together, he has shown how much he can benefit from this at this point in his career, for his qualities and his abilities. I hope he shines, continues to play well." Interested teams have certainly noticed: Salah remains in high demand in the Saudi League, which is ready to transform the most famous Muslim player in the Arab world into one of its ambassadors, with a salary and role similar to that of Cristiano Ronaldo. Mo, who ended his adventure with Liverpool a year before the expiration of his contract worth 12 million euros net per year plus bonuses, still seems to have a desire for European football.
A return to Roma, hypothesized shortly after the announcement, has always been more of a suggestion than a real possibility, also because of the difficulty of adapting his current level to Gasperini's football. Before the World Cup, Fenerbahçe had shown interest, but the start of the tournament has put everything on the back burner. Then came this performance, this confirmation that Salah can still be the best player on his team, as he is convinced he can be. "The Egyptians know better than anyone how much hard work and what an honor it is for me to be the best player on this team," he said in Vancouver. This is also a message to the clubs willing to bet on him: his best years may be behind him, but it has not been long since that 2024-25 season ended with 29 goals and 18 assists, leading Liverpool to the title and equaling the best individual season in Premier League history.
Salah is convinced that he can still be that player: if before the World Cup the salary he was demanding was similar to what he was receiving at Liverpool, now he can even lower the pretensions to continue playing at the highest level in Europe, supported by important personal sponsorship contracts, his popularity and the idea that a Champions League team is the best way to still show his value. At the moment, on Mo's mind there is only Egypt, qualification for the round of 16 and more victories to add to his collection. Salah wants to do this as a protagonist, of course, as a leader. There is no better way to remember that he can still play at the highest level, constantly proving his skills on the biggest stage of football. This desire to be the center of attention and to lead his team shows his unwavering ambition.
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