Mohamed Salah can be an extremely prominent figure when it comes to the streets of Egypt, but his presence in a remote bar in the hoods of a Brazilian favela is surely something that surprised the football fandom.
A favela, the slums of Brazil, can be tagged as one of the most dangerous places of human habitat. With plummeting rates of crimes, illegal activities, and violence, there is one thing that binds the hoods together and that is Brazil’s immense craze for football.
In an attempt to capture the rawness and the essence of a favela, a YouTuber by the username Arab visited the favela of Rio de Janeiro.
He was in the midst of capturing a seasonal football match between two favelas under the same gang. As he went to a bar adjoining the football pitch for a beer, he pointed out the unique decor of the bar.
The walls of the bar were adorned with portraits of numerous renowned football players and various significant sporting events.
Even though, the majority of the portraits depicted that of Brazilian football stars and related sporting events, renowned footballers from other national teams also found their place in the wall.
Portraits of Brazilian superstars like Pele, Ronaldo Nazario, Dani Alves, and Neymar held their place right at the entrance of the bar. However, they also acknowledged the stardom of many non-Brazilians like Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi.
However, fans were quick to spot the portrait of a non-Spanish speaking footballer who found his portrait on the same wall among the greats. And it was none other than the Egyptian football king, Mohamed Salah.
Mohamed Salah, even though, an extremely influential football figure, is often not really considered among the greats like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo or even Halaand or Mbappe for that matter.
People often seem to undermine the greatness and the influence of Salah in the footballing cultures of the street. However, the recognition given by the Brazilian bar in favela completely contradicts this notion.
The Liverpool forward, undoubtedly, can be put within the brackets of elite football talents in the world. With a tally of 322 goals over 6 years in Liverpool F.C, he has contributed a total of 198 goals for the club and 83 assists.
The 31 years old right winger has been influential in winning the Premier League and Champions League for the club. With the recognition of 3 golden boots till now, he has also gone on to become the highest-scoring African player in the EPL.
Even with the national club, his numbers are quite extraordinary. With an impressive 51 goals in 90 matches, he was pivotal in helping Egypt regain its status as one of the best African national teams. Besides, leading the team to the AFCON final in 2021, Salah was the key figure in leading the Egypt National Side in the World Cup campaign 2018.
His contributions to both the National and the club football team, have inevitably made him one of the most popular and influential footballing figure.
Moreover if anyone ever doubts his fandom, the mention of Salah’s portrait on a favela wall among the footballing greats will be enough to symbolize the global reach and influence of the football star.
