Liverpool attacker Mo Salah, an Egyptian, has drawn criticism for being embraced by a model in his most recent magazine cover image, which some claim highlights social injustices.

GQ Middle East’s cover features Alessandra Ambrosio, a former Angel for Victoria’s Secret, alongside Salah.

In the contentious second version, Ambrosio is seen embracing him from behind, while in the original, they are shown side by side.

The performers appear in a behind-the-scenes video during a group laugh.

Most responses, particularly from Egypt, centered on Salah’s acceptance by the model despite being a married Muslim man raised in an Orthodox environment.

A Twitter user said, “Imagine if a married Muslim woman did this.”

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People were so preoccupied with the incident that they either forgot to congratulate the Liverpool player on winning GQ’s Man of the Year award for 2019 or chose not to.

Salah was inundated with angry followers who questioned his morality and criticized him for the photographs after the two covers were posted on his social media sites.

“You should be ashamed of yourself as a Muslim,” said one Instagram user.

In the comments, jokes about Salah’s marriage disintegrating or failing were common. The football player is followed by tens of millions of people worldwide, but he hasn’t yet addressed the criticism.

Salah’s photos were instantly compared to those of famous Egyptian women who had suffered even worse punishment for actions deemed immoral. When actress Rania Youssef decided to attend a red carpet event wearing a dress that flaunted her upper thighs and legs, she ran the risk of receiving a five-year prison sentence.

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Salah frequently shares unguarded photos of himself on social media, and his Instagram page is full of them. Conversely, the GQ controversy highlights his challenging balancing act as an Egyptian, a Muslim, and a well-known figure with a sizable following outside of the Arab world.

The striker’s supporters questioned why the player was receiving criticism, arguing that the photo shoot with Ambrosio was appropriate because the player was now an international A-lister in addition to being a local celebrity in Egypt.