Salah, Sancho, Mahrez: Who is the world's best right-winger? | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is arguably the best male footballer in the world right now.

While Robert Lewandowski might have something to say about that, there’s no denying that Salah is one of the early frontrunners for the 2022 Ballon d’Or having enjoyed a stunning season on Merseyside.

Whether or not the 29-year-old will reach the dizzying heights of his 2017/18 campaign remains to be seen, but notching 27 goals and 10 assists in just 33 appearances isn’t exactly bad going.

The best players in the world right now

However, even if you’re going to bang the drum that Lewandowski is the world’s best – and power to you if that’s the case – you’ve at least got to acknowledge that Salah is the finest in his position.

Ok, sure, maybe there’s an argument to be had that Lionel Messi should be classified as a right winger, but Salah would still be most people’s pick as the best in the sport when it comes to manning that flank.

Besides, while there’s no escaping the fact that Salah interprets the right-wing position in a far more modern and inverted fashion, the Egyptian most certainly hogs the touchline enough not to be labelled as a striker.

1 of 20

Let’s start easy: who’s this iconic character?

Jurassic Jeff The Green Gunner Gunnersaurus Rex Triassic Tony

Salah dominating the right wing

As such, with the likes of Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland out of the way, the runway is clear for Salah to take the throne as world football’s finest male player on the right flank.

Now, unsurprisingly, it’s an opinion that the team over at FourFourTwo agrees with as they heralded Salah as the best right-winger in the world just this week – but what about the other top contenders?

Although nobody can truly compete with the Liverpool sensation as it stands, the right-wing position certainly has talent elsewhere and FFT shone a light on that by naming their top 10 in the men’s game right now.

Man City 4-1 Man Utd Match Reaction (Football Terrace)

Top 10 right-wingers in world football

The nine other members of the decorated group might not be able to hold a candle to Salah, but they nevertheless have plenty of magic in their boots to make for a fascinating cohort of ballers.

So, without further ado, be sure to check out who FFT named as the world’s ten best right-wingers right now down below:

10. Marco Asensio (Real Madrid)

Now a mature member of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad, Asensio has become a regular on the right flank for Los Blancos this season with an admirable eight goals from 14 starts in La Liga.

9. Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United)

Surely to goodness overdue his first England cap, West Ham’s magician in chief has been one of the Premier League success stories of the 2021/22 campaign with a formidable eight goals and eight assists.

8. Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain)

Di Maria seems truly evergreen in his ability to affect PSG games when they need him most with ambidextrous runs, crosses and shots seeing him hold his own amongst the Messi, Neymar and Mbappe triumvirate.

7. Raphinha (Leeds United)

Regardless of whether or not Leeds avoid relegation this season, Raphinha seems destined for a move elsewhere regardless because he’s truly outgrown his employers with nine goals and two assists.

6. Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea)

Blues fans are still waiting to see Ziyech truly erupt at Stamford Bridge in the manner that they know he can, but the Moroccan’s wand of a left foot has certainly shone brightly in recent months.

5. Jadon Sancho (Manchester United)

Just five goal contributions from his first 23 outings in the Premier League makes for grim reading, but Sancho still has enough credit in the bank from his lucrative Borussia Dortmund days to keep a top five place.

4. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Generous? Maybe, but what Arsenal’s boy wonder has achieved at 20 years old is nothing to be sniffed at, shining as one of England’s best performers during the stunning Euro 2020 campaign.

3. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)

One of the most slept-on ballers in the sport, Mahrez hasn’t received anywhere near enough credit for what is shaping up to be his finest season for City yet with 21 goals and six assists in all competitions.

2. Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich)

Not only has Gnabry established himself as one of the world’s best forwards in recent years, but he’s shown the consistency necessary to endure amongst them, amassing 16 goal contributions in 2021/22.

1. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Grass is green, water is wet, Salah is the best right-winger in world football. Like we say, when there’s an argument to be had that he’d finish in first place for all positions, a gold medal out wide was guaranteed.

Salah head and shoulders above the rest

Salah is just in another league right now, isn’t he?

It’s not a slight on the likes of Mahrez, Sancho and Ziyech to look back at the list and realise that Liverpool’s goalscorer in chief has made the right-wing position his own in recent years.

However, aside from showcasing the endless talents of Salah, perhaps the main takeaway is just how dominant the Premier League seems to be when it comes to ballers on the right wing.

With representatives from the so-called ‘top six’ clubs such as Arsenal and Manchester United down to the likes of West Ham and Leeds, there’s clearly something about English shores that just inspires a good wingman.

But it’ll take far, far more than the Premier League soil for somebody to get within a country mile of Salah right now as he hunts down the quadruple with Liverpool – and Ballon d’Or glory to boot. Simply incredible.