Salah's Puskás Snub: A Goal So Good, Or Just a Good Story?
Remember that 2017-18 season? Mohamed Salah was a cheat code, wasn't he? He bagged 44 goals across all competitions in his debut campaign for Liverpool, a ridiculous haul that saw him claim the Premier League Golden Boot with 32 goals in 36 league games. He was unplayable, scoring every kind of goal imaginable: poacher's finishes, blistering runs, and even a few absolute screamers from outside the box. So, when the FIFA Puskás Award for the year's "most beautiful goal" went to Salah in September 2018, it felt right, almost inevitable. Except for one small detail: the goal in question.
It was against Everton, a Merseyside derby at Anfield on December 10, 2017. Salah picked up the ball on the right wing, danced past Idrissa Gueye, cut inside past Cuco Martina, and then curled a left-footed shot over Jordan Pickford into the far top corner. A lovely goal, no doubt. But the Puskás? The internet, as it always does, went into a frenzy. And not everyone was convinced. The hot take here? That Puskás win was more about the Salah hype train hitting full speed than the sheer brilliance of that specific strike. He had better goals that season, plain and simple.
Milner's Honest Assessment
The most vocal dissenter, and perhaps the funniest, was his own teammate, James Milner. A few days after Salah picked up the award, Milner took to Twitter with a classic bit of dry wit: "Congrats @MoSalah on your 7th best goal from last season winning goal of the year #greatstrike #puskas #bettergoals." That tweet blew up, and honestly, Milner wasn't wrong. Think about some of the other goals Salah scored that season. His second against Tottenham at Anfield in February 2018, where he jinked past three defenders before chipping the ball over Hugo Lloris, felt more audacious. Or his solo effort against Watford in March, where he left Miguel Britos on the floor before slotting home for his *fourth* goal of the game in a 5-0 rout. Those were masterclasses in individual skill and composure.
The Puskás Peculiarity
The Puskás Award has always had this weird element to it, hasn't it? It's voted on by fans, which means popularity often plays as big a role as actual aesthetic beauty. Salah was undeniably the most talked-about player in world football at that point, fresh off breaking the Premier League's 38-game season scoring record. His goal against Everton was good, a 1-1 equalizer that day, but it lacked the sheer audacity of Gareth Bale’s overhead kick in the Champions League final against Liverpool later that season, or Cristiano Ronaldo's bicycle kick against Juventus. Both of those were also nominated, and frankly, both were more spectacular. Puskás voters often seem to gravitate towards a player's overall narrative rather than the singular moment. It's not a bad thing, necessarily, but it does make you scratch your head sometimes.
It doesn't diminish Salah's incredible season, of course. He was sensational, a genuine world-beater who dragged Liverpool to the Champions League final. But that Puskás win? It's a fun asterisk on an otherwise perfect year. My bold prediction: We'll see another fan-voted award go to a popular player for a "good" goal, overlooking a truly "great" one, within the next three years. It's just how these things work.