In 2018, Mohamed Salah was not even in the top five candidates for the Ballon d’Or.

He followed in the footsteps of many other Premier League stars who were passed over for France Football’s top honor.

Salah has improved and advanced since 2018, yet he still ranks first among strikers. Since his comeback to the Premier League six years ago, no forward has scored or assisted on as many goals as the Egyptian.

He is still criminally undervalued, though.

The 2018 Ballon d’Or should have gone to Luka Modric rather than Mohamed Salah.

Mohamed Salah almost led Liverpool to the Champions League after joining the club in the summer of 2017 and promptly going on a goal-scoring tear.

In the 2018 Champions League final, the Egyptian played for only 25 minutes due to a dislocated shoulder sustained following a fight with Serio Ramos.

But Salah’s 44 goals and 16 assists that season will be legendary. The left-footed superstar ended the season with the most goal assists (60) of any player in the Premier League.

Lionel Messi, on the other hand, scored 45 goals and added 25 more for a goal-to-assist ratio of 70:1.

However, Luka Modric was voted 2018’s best player on the soccer field. Interestingly, Messi did not even make the podium, as the voting journalists ranked him fifth overall. Salah landed in the #6 spot.

In first place were:

The winner is Luka Modric, with 753 votes.

Griezmann, Antoine (414 votes)

Mbappe, Kylian (347 votes).

Leo Messi (280 votes).

Ahmed Mohamed Salah (188 votes).

Five of the best players in Premier League history who never took home the trophy

It may come as a surprise, but the Premier League has produced relatively few Ballon d’Or winners considering its status as Europe’s greatest league.

Since France Football first presented the accolade in 1956, 24 teams from La Liga have taken home the hardware. When compared to the Bundesliga, Serie A has 18 more champions.

There have only been six in the Premier League.

Thierry Henry.

The French striker is generally considered the greatest player in Premier League history. Given that Cristiano Ronaldo used to play for Manchester United, this may come as a surprise to some.

But if you compare their Premier League success, Henry is the obvious victor. He is the seventh all-time scorer in Premier League history with 175 goals. In addition to that, he helped out an additional 80 people.

But his numbers didn’t tell the whole story. Destroying defenders with such grace—and that’s the perfect word—is rare in today’s Premier League.

A fantastic player who should have won the Ballon d’Or but lost to Paulo Nedved in 2003 to widespread public outcry.

Henry had a career-high 24 goals and 20 assists that year.

Both Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard

It might be said that Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are the two greatest players in Premier League history.

Stevie G was perhaps the finest center midfielder ever, thanks to his goal-saving tackles, 30-yard screamers, and deft passing.

In 2005, he came the closest to taking home the legendary trophy by placing third, just behind Lampard and Ronaldinho. That season, Gerrard had 13 goals and six assists, winning the Champions League against AC Milan.

Lampard won the Premier League and the FA Cup with an astounding 19 goals and 21 assists.

The presence of Ronaldinho in La Liga was a boost, as his dribbling talents wowed Spanish fans. His stats from that season were also impressive, demonstrating his versatility with 13 goals and 16 assists.

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool supporters continue to gush over Mohamed Salah, the latest A-lister to dazzle them at Anfield. The Egyptian joined the club in 2017, and since then he has scored more goals than any other player, while also becoming one of the most inventive strikers in Europe.

liverpool’s mohamed salah Champions League Final at Tottenham

Salah may not have been the best player in 2018, but he is one of the finest Premier League players who has never been voted the best in the world.

With at least another year and a half left on his contract with Liverpool, he still has a chance to become the club’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League.

Virgil van Dijk

Van Dijk has been a crucial addition to the team in recent years. Before the Dutchman’s January transfer to Anfield, Liverpool’s defense was shaky at best.

That, plus the goal-scoring brilliance of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, and Mohamed Salah, propelled the Reds into an improbable Champions League final. He also came close to winning the Premier League, finishing second the year after and then champion in 2020.

Since his devastating ACL injury, van Dijk’s career at Liverpool has reached new heights with his promotion to captain.

It’s feasible, especially now that Leo Messi has moved to the MLS and he’s playing better than ever before. The eight-time winner of the Ballon d’Or is unlikely to receive another golden ball until he wins the World Cup with Argentina in 2026.

Wayne Rooney

The Premier League lost one of its greatest players in Rooney. At 16, he had everything going for him, so he could make his debut. He has scored 208 goals, putting him in third place all-time. He is third all-time in scoring behind only Harry Kane (213 goals) and Alan Shearer (260 goals).

Unfortunately, duty requires me not to praise the Man Utd striker anymore.

But here’s Rooney shouting Gerrard’s praises.

He hailed the famous Liverpool captain as the finest England captain he has played under.

His final verdict? “Stevie,” he declared. To me, he is a tremendous leader and a fantastic player. He was a great assistance to me when I first arrived in England.