Robert Pires slams Ballon d'Or voters after Liverpool snub - 'Best player in the Premier League'

Arsenal icon Robert Pires has for the prestigious accolade.

Even amid bagging 25 goals across 44 fixtures and securing the Carabao Cup last term with the Reds, wasn't even named among the 30 hopefuls vying for this year's gong.

The selection of the men's Ballon d'Or involves a panel of 100 journalists from every one of FIFA's top 100 ranked member countries putting forth their personal top 10 from the nominee list. Each choice is allocated a particular number of points, scaling from 15 for the first-place pick to descending figures thereafter.

The contender boasting the highest tally of points when all votes are counted claims the annual prize. This year, it was Manchester City and Spain's midfielder Rodri that clinched the coveted title after contributing to Manchester City's consistent domestic success and lifting Spain to UEFA Euro 2024 glory.

Yet, Pires has expressed his conviction that it was Salah who deserved the honour, telling MBC MASR 2: "Mohamed Salah is the best player in the Premier League.

"He has a fantastic mentality, and his level doesn't surprise me because he's one of the best players in Europe and the world.

"In Egypt, you know he's the best in the national team, but what he does with Liverpool is truly exceptional. He's maintained his level for many years, playing different roles, scoring goals and providing assists. Salah was treated unfairly by being left out of the Ballon d'Or list.

"It's a loss for the list, not for Salah. This isn't the players' fault; it's the journalists' mistake. Many great players, like Thierry Henry, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta, never won the award either. Salah's absence from the Ballon d'Or final shortlist shows that some people don't know much about football."

Real Madrid trio Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal finished second, third and fourth respectively in the Ballon d'Or race. However, all three boycotted the ceremony after it was revealed that Vincius had lost out to Rodri.

Despite his Ballon d'Or snub, Salah continues to shine in the . He , leading Liverpool to victory over Aston Villa and extending their lead at the top of the table.

The Egyptian has already racked up 10 goals and 10 assists in all competitions this season. New boss is thrilled with his performances, despite his contract expiring in the summer.

"I've worked with him now for four or five months, and you guys have seen him here for six or seven years in a row now," Slot said on Saturday when asked about the Egyptian's statistics this term.

"It's special that he scores so many goals already; what makes it even more impressive is that he does this year after year after year. Not many players are able to do that and that he is able to do this tells you a lot about the quality he has."

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