Mohamed Salah’s criticism of Liverpool has drawn backlash across English football, but in Egypt, 99% of people stand with him—because Salah can do no wrong. A Reporter visited Cairo to gauge local fans’ reactions, with the following compiled report:
What strikes most about Cairo is the sheer scale of its population beneath the hustle and bustle.
Egypt has a total population of around 120 million, with 23 million residents in the capital Cairo.
For comparison, Liverpool’s population is less than one million.
Only by understanding this numerical gap can one grasp the wave of national anger in Egypt after Salah’s controversial interview on December 6, where he claimed to have been “betrayed by the club.”
"This interview sparked a revolution in Egypt," said a former Egyptian assistant coach who has known Salah since he was 16. “99% of Egyptians support Salah, and the reaction from Anfield fans proves Liverpool supporters back him too.”
While British media has lambasted Salah—former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher branded his comments "disgraceful" and accused the 33-year-old of "dragging the club into the gutter," with public opinion mostly criticizing his decision to air grievances publicly—in Cairo, the "Egyptian King" is infallible.
"Before Salah, no one here supported Liverpool," said Cairo local Nora Essam. "We had no global icon before him, so we will stand by him forever." In the 2018 presidential election, over a million Egyptians crossed out the candidate list and voted for Salah.
He is an unofficial leader, dubbed the “Fourth Pyramid.”
Around Ramses Square—a transit hub where Salah commuted 9 hours daily for training as a teenager—people in cafes still cannot fathom why Arne Slot benched him for three consecutive games, followed by his exclusion from the squad for the Champions League clash against Inter Milan.
"When Liverpool played Inter, the entire Egypt supported Inter," revealed Osama Ismail, former Egyptian Football Association spokesperson who once worked with Salah. He described the forward as "confident but not arrogant" and firmly believes he still wants to play for Liverpool.
At Cairo International Stadium—where Egypt beat Nigeria 2-1 in a friendly ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations—there is widespread hope that their inspiring "son" will regain his form and help the Pharaohs challenge for their first trophy since 2010.
"We see him as family, so we feel emotionally hurt—it’s like a humiliation to one of our own," admitted Cairo journalist Ahmed Gamal Ali. “Witnessing a compatriot being wronged is shocking, and the national spontaneous response is almost instinctive. We haven’t walked in his shoes, so we have no right to judge whether the interview was right or wrong, but this is how players like him and Ronaldo think.”
At the Egyptian national team’s hotel in the suburbs of Cairo, teammates who have played alongside Salah are not worried about their captain’s actions, insisting he is a professional role model. "Working with Mo is the best part of my job," said one staff member. Another laughed and said everyone had selected him in their dream Premier League lineup. Most have voiced support for Salah on social media over the past week.
Egypt’s all-time top scorer and head coach Hossam Hassan held a lengthy
conversation with Salah last week. He firmly believes that regardless of Liverpool’s situation, Egypt needs Salah at his best to compete for glory in Morocco.
So what about Liverpool? Was Salah’s appearance at Anfield last Saturday a farewell or a temporary departure? "Please believe it’s just a temporary goodbye," emphasized Said. Before Salah left for the Africa Cup of Nations, Slot insisted there was "no problem selecting him," and teammates have also expressed hope that he stays.
Crucially, Salah still sees himself as Liverpool’s first-choice starter. During his absence, agent Ramy Abbas will hold talks with the club. In recent years, Salah has usually gotten his way: last April, he celebrated a contract extension sitting on the Anfield throne—after hinting at a possible departure; in 2018, he achieved his goals through government intervention following a dispute with Egyptian FA officials over image rights.
But for the first time in a long while, Salah’s "love story" with Liverpool seems to be approaching its end. It is understood that neither side wants to cut ties in January, but a summer split may be more suitable for both. Saudi clubs are showing strong interest in the player, who earns £400,000-a-week and has a contract until 2027.
There is speculation that even if he leaves, Salah may return to live in Liverpool with his wife and daughters after retirement, as they love the British lifestyle. Billboards featuring his image line the road from Cairo to the airport—a journey Salah has taken countless times. In Egypt, all roads lead to Salah.
A new advertisement is looping on TV: his daughters ask why he still trains so hard when he has already won everything with Liverpool. He replies: “No, it’s not complete. This is for Egypt.”
Salah is eager to win a trophy for his country. Before April 2018, his social media handle was always @MoSalah22, a tribute to Ahly legend Mohamed Aboutrika, who wore the No. 22 jersey and won two Africa Cup of Nations titles. The player widely regarded as an African-Arab football icon was listed as a terrorist by Egypt in 2017 (removed from the list in 2024), after which Salah deleted the "22" suffix.
Unlike his idol, Salah has not yet won the Africa Cup of Nations (runners-up in 2017 and 2021). He believes playing in the Premier League provides the best platform to achieve this goal. Performing for the national team holds great significance: he has only participated in one World Cup (2018, playing with an injury as Egypt exited in the group stage without a win). Next year’s World Cup, where they are grouped with Belgium, Iran, and New Zealand, will be his chance to return to the top stage.
The focus now is on helping the Pharaohs shine in Morocco. Agent Abbas will handle Liverpool matters—where Salah seems to be increasingly no longer the center of attention. The scene at Anfield last Saturday (Salah coming off the bench to help the team beat Brighton 2-0) showed he is still beloved by Liverpool; while the atmosphere in Cairo declares that Egypt will always support their son.
"Salah always craves victory, but now he has double motivation to prove he is still a top player," said fan Mohamed Mamoun. “We have long known he is the best.”
Egypt is not among the favorites to win the Africa Cup of Nations, but with Salah, they hold onto faith.
