Ex-Liverpool player Markus Babbel thinks Mohamed Salah is the sole player who can compete with Lionel Messi.

Salah has been in top shape this season, scoring 28 goals and 19 assists in 36 games, making him an early candidate for the 2025 Ballon d’Or. In spite of his consistency throughout the years, Salah did not even find himself in the top 30 last year.

Nevertheless, Babbel claims that the Egyptian legend is deserving of praise, as he maintains that only Messi can compare with his record.

“I have never seen a player at Salah’s level—Lionel Messi. He has an unbelievable goal return, especially as a winger. He is not a traditional-type striker like Ian Rush or Alan Shearer, but he scores at an unbelievable rate,” Babbl told Wette.de.

He also questioned why Salah has not at all been among the top three for the Ballon d’Or, calling him the best in the world at his position. While he believes that Salah deserves the award this year, he worries it might end up in a Real Madrid player’s hands due to the club’s non-appearance at last year’s event.

Liverpool are currently seven points clear at the top of the Premier League, and Salah will get another opportunity to shine when they play Aston Villa on Wednesday.

With the form he is in, a good run of games towards the end of the season could cement his Ballon d’Or credentials and give him the adoration Babbel feels he has been worthy of for so long.