🏆 Ballon d'OneFootball: And in 1st place is ... | OneFootball

And here we are, we’ve reached the end of the third annual edition of the Ballon d’OneFootball.

Over the past few weeks, we have been counting down the top 25 players in the world, as voted for by our editors.

We’ve reached the number one spot, and sitting at the top of the pile is …

1st: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool and Egypt)

(Last year: 8th)

For some time the conversation over the best player in the world has been centred around either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mohamed Salah has well and truly hijacked the pair’s stranglehold at the top of the of the tree.

Over the past 12 months the Egyptian international has rose above the chasing pack and cemented himself as one of the best in world football.

The 29-year-old has 28 goals and 10 assists to his name in all competitions alone, seven goals ahead of his nearest challenger, teammate Diogo Jota, in the Premier League top scorers chart.

In the past 12 months he has reached the 150 goal mark for Liverpool and became the top goalscoring African player in the history of the league.

Salah certainly passes the numbers test but there has also been a visible improvement to his playing style.

When the 2021/22 campaign ends there’s a case for the Liverpool forward to have his own goal of the season competition.

His magnificent individual effort against Manchester City in October was breathtaking enough, only for him to go and replicate him in the 5-0 win over Watford in the very next game.

Those two strikes in particular are becoming a trademark of Salah’s – shrugging off many markers in a tight space by either outmuscling them or keeping the ball on a string while he dances round them.

There has been little doubt about Salah’s pace and finishing ability during his time in England, now he looks capable of dribbling through defenders at will as well, what chance do opposition defenders stand?

“Come on, who is better than him at the moment?” his manager Jürgen Klopp said after his remarkable finish against Watford.

“There is nobody better – that is clear.”

The German is right.

Click here to see the entire list.