David Villa has named Mohamed Salah as the best African footballer in the world right now.
It’s been a rough start to the 2025-26 season for Salah, who hasn’t looked anything like his old self. The numbers back it up too – with just five goal contributions in 17 matches across all competitions so far.
Nothing seems to be falling into place for him at the moment, and he’s also struggled to develop any real chemistry with Alexander Isak on the pitch.
But that hasn’t stopped Barcelona legend Villa from singing his praises. Speaking to GOAL, he said:
“He is a great player, and I have seen him play in many games in which he has performed brilliantly.”
“With all due respect to other players such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe, but Mohamed Salah is still the best African player at present,” Villa added.
David Villa backs Mohamed Salah as Africa’s top player despite recent struggles
Mohamed Salah has long been the standout performer at Liverpool, and his impact on the team has been hard to ignore.
He had a career-best season in terms of goals and assists last year, but fell short in the Ballon d’Or race. Many felt that was due to Liverpool’s lacklustre showing in the Champions League.
Ousmane Dembele took home the award, though many argued that Salah’s individual numbers made a strong case for him as well.
Since then, things haven’t gone so well. But despite this drop-off, Villa hasn’t wavered in his admiration for the former Roma forward.
“I think it’s Mo Salah. His talent, there are many good African players now, but if you ask me about one, Mo Salah is the most talented African player right now,” he said to SportyTV.
Hugo Ekitike has actually performed better than Mohamed Salah for Liverpool this season
Liverpool were busy during the summer transfer window, but so far, few of their new signings have made much of an impression.
Hugo Ekitike has been the exception, and he’s adapted quickly to life in the Premier League.
He’s outperformed the likes of Salah, Alexander Isak, and even Florian Wirtz this term, with many expecting him to just come in and be a backup.
Ekitike has emerged as one of Liverpool’s early standouts, showing more impact than some of his more established teammates.
Salah still has plenty of time to turn things around for Liverpool. Still, it’s uncertain when he’ll break his scoring drought.
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