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Everything you need to know about the exceptional Egyptian!

Mohamed Salah is an Egyptian footballer who currently plays for Liverpool in the English Premier League. He was born on June 15, 1992, in Nagrig, Egypt, and started his professional career in Egypt's Premier League with Al Mokawloon in 2010.

Salah is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world and is known for his speed, agility, and goal-scoring ability. He has won numerous awards throughout his career, including the Premier League Golden Boot, the PFA Players' Player of the Year, and the FWA Footballer of the Year.

He is regarded as one of the greatest players to ever don the Liverpool jersey and was instrumental in helping the Reds win their first Premier League title in 2020 and their fifth UEFA Champions League triumph in 2019, a year after they had lost in the final to Real Madrid.

Salah is a devout Muslim and often celebrates goals by performing sujood, which is the Islamic act of prostration. He is also known for his charity work and is an ambassador for UNICEF.

Salah's success has made him a global icon and a role model for young people in Egypt and around the world. He has a huge social media following and is often featured in advertisements and campaigns.

But what are the 13 fun facts about Mohamed Salah that you absolutely need to know?

• Football running in his genes

  Mohamed Salah's father, Salah Ghaly, was an avid football lover himself and used to play the sport in his Nagrig village.

  Being a football coach, he encouraged young Mohamed to pursue the sport, and was key to his early development as a footballer.

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  Won the Swiss Super League Player of the Year in his debut season at Basel

  After spending two years in his hometown club Al Mokawloon, Mohamed Salah was signed by Swiss Super League side Basel, where he scored five goals in the league and helped them win the Swiss Super League.

  Due to his performances, he was awarded the Swiss Super League Player of the Year in 2013.

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  A celebration inspired by his religion

  Mohamed Salah is a devout Muslim and that faith extends to the football pitch as well. He often celebrates goals by performing sujood, a Muslim prayer gesture of prostration.

  Salah performs a prayer of thanks by getting to his knees and placing his head on the ground.

  "It's not kissing the ground," the Egyptian star told CNN in 2018. "It's something like praying or like thank God for what I have received, but yeah, it's just praying and praying for a win.

  "[I’ve] always done that since I was young, everywhere.”

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• A big fan of Kushari, an Egyptian delicacy

  Salah admitted that kushari, an Egyptian delicacy that originated in the 19th century and is made of rice, macaroni, lentils, and topped with spicy tomatoes, chickpeas, and onions, is his favourite food.

  "When I go back to Egypt, I call my friend from the airport to buy kushari for us to eat in the car. I pull my hoodie over my head, jump into the car and then I'm eating it straight away," he revealed in an interview with CNN in 2018.

The French superstar scored twice before the Argentine wizard netted a stoppage-time free-kick to seal a 4-3 victory

After three successive defeats in all competitions, Paris Saint-Germain got back to winning ways in dramatic fashion on Sunday, coming from behind late on to seal a 4-3 win over Lille.

PSG actually opened the scoring through Kylian Mbappe, who evaded two Lille defenders and finished to complete a sublime solo effort. Neymar made it two shortly after, bursting into the box to meet Vitinha's layoff.

Lille, though, pulled one back from through a Bafode Diakite header, and Jonathan David then equalised from the spot after Neymar had been stretchered off with an ankle injury.

The away side then took a 3-2 lead through Jonathan Bamba, but a late double from first Mbappe and then a free-kick from Lionel Messi in stoppage time saw PSG move nine points clear at the top of Ligue 1 – and perhaps save manager Christophe Galtier's job.

GOAL rates PSG's players from Parc des Princes…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):

  A mixed bag. Made some excellent saves, but shouldn't have been beaten at his near post for Lille's third.

  Timothee Pembele (5/10):

  An uneasy stand-in for Achraf Hakimi. Had the fewest touches of any PSG player.

  Sergio Ramos (7/10):

  Has gone from the forgotten man to the best central defender PSG have at the moment.

  Presnel Kimpembe (6/10):

  Uneasy start to the game with a poor header that almost gave up a goal, but improved as it went on.

  Nuno Mendes (5/10):

  Did little before being removed with a foot injury after 30 minutes.

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• Midfield

  Vitinha (6/10):

  Never outworked, but not exactly full of quality. Provided a neat assist for Neymar.

  Marco Verratti (6/10):

  Lots of defensive work, some attacking thrust, but conceded a soft penalty. Just about a welcome return from suspension in the end.

  Fabian Ruiz (5/10):

  Expertly completed a disappearing act.

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  Attack

  Lionel Messi (7/10):

  Anonymous, then scored a stunning free-kick to win it. Baffling.

  Neymar (6/10):

  Scored PSG's second but subbed off with what looked like a very painful ankle injury early in the second half.

  Kylian Mbappe (9/10):

  Scored an absolutely superb goal to put PSG 1-0 up and added another to kick-off the late comeback. Reminded PSG exactly how badly they need him in the side.

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• Subs & Manager

  Juan Bernat (7/10):

  Assisted Mbappe's second, put in a solid shift.

  Hugo Ekitike (6/10):

  Replaced Neymar, struggled to get involved.

  Danilo Pereira (6/10):

  A late entrant, probably should have started.

  Carlos Soler (6/10):

  Didn't make much of an impact

  Warren Zaire-Emery (6/10):

  One very nice run highlighted a solid cameo.

  Christophe Galtier (6/10):

  Was on the hot seat until Mbappe and Messi potentially saved his job. He will take the win, but the performances are beyond worrying.

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting to a rumour linking Kalidou Koulibaly with the Reds, with many of them not wanting the defender to move to Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp has had to tackle a defensive crisis this season – one that has played a major role in his team’s struggles.

For starters, Liverpool have been without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip for the majority of the season, acting as an enormous blow.

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Midfield pair Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have been forced to play at centre-back at times, while unproven duo Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams are now the current partnership.

Incredibly, even the two January signings, Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies, are now injured too, in a scarcely believable situation.

Klopp will surely be eyeing up a new defensive signing in the summer transfer window, as he looks to tackle an unprecedented situation.

Koulibaly’s agent, Vincenzo Morabito, has told Calciomercato [via the Daily Star] that Liverpool want his client, with the Napoli hero potentially moving on at the end of the season.

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Liverpool fans not interested in Koulibaly move

These Reds supporters let their feelings be known on Twitter, with plenty of them not wanting the Senegalese to move to Anfield.

“Won’t happen”

Credit: @king6_kop

“Gomez and Matip are better, what’s the point?”

Credit: @lamarduckworth

“We couldn’t afford him in 2019 so we wait until he’s washed”

Credit: @TobyLA2

“Nah, thanks. Just sell Matip, buy Konate and Kabak. The remaining money for Tielemans, Bissouma and Mbappe”

Credit: @plottwistoflife

“No thanks…past his best”

Credit: @Thebuzzman76

“He’s old”

Credit: @FeedelSircolour

In other news, one Liverpool player is set for a loan move this summer – find out who it is here.

The Atlas Lions lived up to their nickname by fighting ferociously throughout, but Les Bleus are back in the final after a 2-0 win in Al Khor

Morocco's beautiful World Cup dream has died, but France's hopes of a second successive title live on after they somehow managed to tame the Atlas Lions at a raucous Al Bayt Stadium.

After conceding an early goal to Theo Hernandez, the pride of Africa threw absolutely everything at the defending champions.

But Ibrahima Konate & Co. held firm. Les Bleus refused to buckle. Didier Deschamps' team just always seem to find a way to win and Randal Kolo Muani sealed victory for France less than a minute after coming off the bench.

Morocco's incredible supporters did everything within their power to roar their side to victory but Sunday's final will feature France against Argentina. And, of course, Kylian Mbappe versus Lionel Messi.

It should be a head to head for the ages. History will be made no matter what happens.

But nobody will ever forget just how much Morocco contributed to this game, and indeed this tournament. Third place would be a fitting reward for their players and their followers.

GOAL runs through the winners and losers from an engrossing evening in Al Khor that saw Morocco lose a fiercely contested semi-final showdown but win the hearts of yet more football fans across the world.

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  WINNER: Theo Hernandez

  While Theo Hernandez's defensive attributes are underappreciated he is, as we saw against England, always prone to doing something silly.

  His needless shoulder-charge on Mason Mount could – and indeed should – have resulted in France being forced into playing an extra half hour against an England side they were struggling to contain. He also arguably got away with a clumsy tackle on Sofiane Boufal here.

  However, Stefano Pioli and plenty of others would argue that the risk that comes with picking Hernandez in defence is worth the potential reward, and this game illustrated why, with the AC Milan star popping up in the area to open the scoring with an acrobatic finish that got better with every viewing.

  The irony, of course, is that he probably wouldn't have started a single game at this tournament had his brother Lucas not been injured in France's opener against Australia, given Deschamps is quite a conservative coach.

  But Hernandez, who has created more chances at this tournament than any other defender (11), is a big reason why Les Bleus are back in another final.

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  LOSER: Morocco's centre-backs

  The gamble did not pay off. On the contrary, it backfired badly.

  Less than 20 minutes into the biggest game in Moroccan football history, Walid Regragui had lost two of the three centre-backs he had picked to face France.

  Nayef Aguerd didn't even make the kick-off, forced to withdraw at the 11th hour due to illness. He was soon joined on the bench by his captain, Romain Saiss, who pulled up while trying and failing to keep up with Olivier Giroud – the most obvious sign of a physical problem possible.

  The skipper's substitution was particularly problematic because it forced Regragui into switching to a back four, which obviously limited Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui's chances to get forward without the security of an extra centre-half to negate the threat posed by France's fliers out wide, Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe.

  The former failed to take advantage but the latter certainly made an impact (more on that later), while the once-again excellent Antoine Griezmann exploited the upheaval and uncertainty in the Moroccan backline inside five minutes and continued to cause problems throughout.

  The Atlas Lions, remember, hadn't trailed once in this tournament until Hernandez's opener. Sadly, they can only now wonder what might have happened had all of their first-choice defenders been fit…

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  WINNER: Didier Deschamps

  It's worth remembering that Didier Deschamps copped a copious amount of criticism after France's last-16 exit at Euro 2020.

  Plenty of pundits and supporters had grown weary of his safety-first approach to football. The argument was that, given the players at his disposal, France were merely effective when they could be truly exhilarating.

  It is impossible to argue with Deschamps' World Cup record, though.

  Not only has he led a team to a second consecutive final, after triumphing at Russia 2018, the man who lifted the trophy as a player in 1998 has now won 14 of his 18 matches as a coach. Only Helmut Schon has managed more (16).

  Whether the purists like it or not, Deschamps is a winner. And on Sunday he could become only the second manager, after Italy's Vittorio Pozzo, to win back-to-back World Cups.

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  LOSER: Dayot Upamecano

  Dayot Upamecano only missed this game through illness, but there is now zero guarantee that he will get back into the side for Sunday's final.

  In fact, it would be a travesty if Ibrahima Konate does not retain his place alongside Raphael Varane in the centre of defence as the 23-year-old was sensational here, utterly integral to France repelling wave after wave of Moroccan attacks.

  Konate made one crucial interception after another, a succession of terrifically timed tackles and even put Olivier Giroud in on goal with a sublime ball over the top.

  Konate was quite simply Les Bleus' best player on the night, and when one considers just how much trouble Upamecano was given by Harry Kane in the quarter-finals, the Liverpool man is the obvious choice to tackle Messi & Co this weekend.

The Blues could blood some of their top academy talents in the final week of the season as they bid to avoid losing more homegrown youngsters

Despite their late-season struggles, Chelsea's place in the Champions League for next season is now secure.

Arsenal's defeat at Newcastle on Monday assured Thomas Tuchel's side of a place among Europe's elite for 2022-23, and with new ownership on the horizon, summer plans can finally be firmed up.

There are still two Premier League games to go, however, with Leicester City and Watford visiting Stamford Bridge on Thursday and Sunday, respectively.

Tuchel will be keen to ensure his side finish third rather than fourth, but with the pressure mostly off, the German coach has now been given a chance to get a full look at his squad options in the final matches of the campaign.

With a host of players set to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, this feels like the ideal opportunity to blood some youngsters, allowing Tuchel to get a taste of what they could offer him next term.

There have been growing concerns among the Chelsea fanbase over the pathway from the club's famed academy to the first team, with a host of academy stars having left the club in the past couple of years.

The success of Marc Guehi and Tino Livramento after departing the Blues in the summer of 2021 has brought this into sharper focus, and so playing some teenage talents now could work both ways for Chelsea going forward.

It would allow Tuchel to get a proper look at what the academy has to offer, while showing those talents that the road to the Chelsea first team still exists.

But who are the candidates to potentially play over the next four days and into pre-season? GOAL has the answer…

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  Harvey Vale

  Vale is currently the frontrunner to win Chelsea's Academy Player of the Year award, following in the footsteps of the likes of Mason Mount, Reece James, Conor Gallagher and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

  The versatile forward, who can also play at wing-back or in midfield, has been given more first-team opportunities by Tuchel than any other academy player this season, appearing for a total of 131 minutes in domestic cup competitions.

  With nine goals and five assists at age-group level this season, the 18-year-old has been a leader for both the Under-23s and U18s.

  There is also an extra incentive for Tuchel to use Vale, with the England youth international having just one year left on his current contract, and first-team opportunities likely to be a sticking point when negotiations over a fresh deal begin.

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  Lewis Hall

  At just 17, Hall rose to prominence after starring in Chelsea's 5-1 FA Cup third-round win over National League side Chesterfield in January.

  A natural midfielder, the teenager actually played at centre back, but still ended the match with an assist after playing 90 full minutes.

  Since then, Hall has dropped back down to youth level, racking up close to 40 appearances in all competitions in a season that has seen him play all the way down with the U16s as well as with the senior side.

  Another appearance at that level in a more favourable position could, then, be a just reward for a player who those at Cobham say has developed far more quickly than they could have imagined.

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  Charlie Webster

  Webster is regarded as being the great entertainer of the Chelsea academy, combining his agility and balance with wonderful ball-striking technique that has led to him producing stunning passes and a series of long-range goals.

  One of the highest earners in the Blues' youth system, much was expected of the 18-year-old this season, but like many, he began the year without the required level of consistency. 

  In the past few months, however, he has rediscovered his form, and played a key role in the clubs U23s avoiding relegation from Division One of Premier League 2.

  Tuchel was in attendance to see Webster shine in the Blues' final-day win over Tottenham that secured their survival and could look to reward Webster for realising his potential, having not yet given him a senior debut.  

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  Xavier Simons

  Xavier Simons already has one senior appearance to his name, after he started December's Carabao Cup win over Brentford amid a Covid-19 outbreak at Chelsea.

  Playing slightly out of position at right wing-back, the Cobham starlet did well when facing the club he was originally signed from in 2016.

  Another appearance may be on the cards in the coming days, though the 19-year-old's contract situation is likely to work against him.

  Simons is now expected to leave Chelsea this summer with his current deal into its final weeks, with Southampton, Brighton, Norwich City and Watford all in the running to sign him on a free transfer.

The highest-rated players in the Spanish top flight have been revealed for this year's edition of the best-selling video game

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  27Frenkie de Jong – Barcelona – Rating: 85

  85 | CM

  79 PAC	88 DRI
  64 SHO	76 DEF
  84 PAS	76 PHY

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  26Koke – Atletico Madrid – Rating: 85

  85 | RM

  68 PAC	82 DRI
  75 SHO	74 DEF
  86 PAS	79 PHY

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  25James Rodriguez – Real Madrid – Rating: 85

  85 | CAM

  55 PAC	86 DRI
  86 SHO	50 DEF
  87 PAS	63 PHY

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  24Saul Niguez – Atletico Madrid – Rating: 85

  85 | CAM

  70 PAC	81 DRI
  78 SHO	78 DEF
  79 PAS	78 PHY

Newcastle United are keen to tie down Jacob Murphy to a new contract and talks will take place ‘in the coming weeks’, according to a report from Football Insider.

Murphy’s £25,000-per-week deal is set to expire in the summer, and potential suitors have been on alert.

Football Insider named Scottish champions Rangers, Newcastle’s mid-table rivals Southampton and recently-promoted Watford among the clubs who are keen, but the Magpies are now seeking to ward off that interest with Murphy enjoying a strong run of form.

Murphy shines in Toon’s survival push

Murphy has started Newcastle’s last four games at right-back, helping his side pick up eight points from a possible 12 and take giant strides towards Premier League safety.

The Englishman was hailed for an ‘excellent’ display in the 2-2 draw against Spurs before going on to score an excellent equaliser as Newcastle fought back to beat Burnley the following week.

Journalist Lee Ryder then awarded Murphy a seven out of 10 at the weekend after the Magpies snatched a draw away to Liverpool, saying that the 26-year-old ‘never gave up and kept pressuring’.

Transfer Tavern verdict

What has been really impressive about Murphy’s performances is that he knows he’s playing for his future and he has duly come alive.

He could so easily be trying too hard to impress or be playing with a weight on his shoulders, but that’s not the case whatsoever based on his efforts of late, so it makes infinite sense to extend the 26-year-old’s stay, especially as he has played his part in easing Newcastle away from the drop zone.

In other news, read the latest on Joe Willock’s future.

According to a report by 90min, sharing news on the Tottenham Hotspur manager search, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy remains ‘infatuated’ by Leicester City’s Brendan Rodgers.

The Lowdown: Rodgers heavily linked to Spurs…

The 48-year-old has attracted major interest from Tottenham since Jose Mourinho was starting to feel the pressure, with reports from as far back as February detailing Levy’s interest in Rodgers (Football Insider).

He was quick to play down the reports linking him with Spurs recently whilst openly committing his future to Leicester, but that still didn’t stop speculation in the media. The Daily Mail recently claimed, despite Rodgers’ stance on the Tottenham job, that Levy has no intention of giving up in pursuit of the Northern Irishman.

The Latest: Levy still ‘infatuated’ by Rodgers…

90min disclosed that Levy and Spurs very much remain interested in the former Celtic boss as a top target to replace Mourinho in north London. The report went as far as to say the Lilywhites chairman is ‘infatuated’ by Rodgers and sees him as the ‘perfect’ managerial candidate for Spurs.

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He is also prepared to hand the Foxes boss a huge salary and make him the second-highest earner of any manager in the Premier League bar Pep Guardiola.

However, regardless of his intent, Levy is fully aware that he faces a fight to appoint Rodgers at Tottenham given his public admission over the role.

The Verdict: Rodgers should be number one…

We’re inclined to agree with the Tottenham head honcho on this one, especially given Rodgers’ record of superb man management (Leicestershire Live). The former Liverpool boss apparently has an ‘open door’ policy, with his players free to chat one-to-one at any time.

Rodgers has also been revered by sections of the press for making fringe players feel like they’re more involved, as opposed to a Dele Alli-style shun from the likes of Mourinho.

Five Leicester youngsters have made their debuts under the current manager, with Tottenham said to want someone who has proven experience in developing talent from the academy (The Athletic).

With Rodgers described as one of the Premier League’s ‘outstanding’ manager (Sky Sports), if Levy can pull off this appointment, it could be a real no-brainer.

In other news: many Tottenham fans flocked to this development, find out more here.

Spurs have signed their fair share of poor players over the years. Goal takes a look at the worst over the years

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  John Scales

  A centre-back by trade, Scales joined Tottenham for £2.6 million in 1996 but an awful injury record saw him make just 29 Premier League starts for the club in four years, and he joined Ipswich Town in 2000.

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  Kazuyuki Toda

  The red-haired Japanese midfielder joined Spurs on a one-year loan in 2003, but he made just four appearances and failed to make any sort of impact, with many fans believing his signing was designed to boost the club’s popularity in Asia.

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  Mbulelo Mabizela

  Signed from Orlando Pirates in 2003, Mabizela was billed as a strong, technically sound defender but he made just seven appearances for the club before being released from his contract two years later following a string of disciplinary problems. Nevertheless, his superb strike against Leicester City left a lasting legacy in north London.

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  Helder Postiga

  An £8.25m signing from Porto in 2003, Postiga managed just one goal in 19 appearances before he was shipped back to the Portuguese giants in exchange for Pedro Mendes.

As Tottenham Hotspur get off to a winning start under interim manager Ryan Mason, seeing off Southampton with a 2-1 victory, correspondent Alasdair Gold had some words of criticism for midfield maestro Giovani Lo Celso (football.london).

Spurs sacked former boss Jose Mourinho on Monday amid the European Super League saga and the search for a new boss in time for next campaign is now beginning.

In the mean time, however, interim manager Mason is tasked with helping Spurs to finish this campaign as strongly as possible – with the Lilywhites still only two points off a possible top four Champions League qualifying place (Premier League).

Gold criticises Lo Celso

Still in the running for Europe, yesterday’s crucial comeback from 1-0 down against the Saints may prove pivotal in Mason’s attempts to salvage something from what has been a strange season.

Danny Ings opened the scoring for the visitors but strikes from Gareth Bale and Son Heung-min clawed a result back for the Lilywhites.

One man who didn’t have the best of days was Lo Celso, with journalist Gold describing his play as ‘very sloppy’ at times and giving him a 5/10 match rating.

He did have his moments, as Gold explains – highlighted by his fine threaded through ball in the build up to Son’s disallowed Tottenham goal.

Overall, however, he was poor – with SofaScore also giving him the lowest rating out of any Spurs starter yesterday (6.3), and the statistics below show exactly why.

Transfer Tavern take

The former Real Betis ace lost possession of the ball 14 times and Mason will be hoping he can improve on that performance in a crucial few weeks for Tottenham.

As Mason aims for Spurs to be more ‘aggressive’, Lo Celso returning to his very best like we’ve seen in flashes this season would come as a big boost for the Lilywhites, but his passive, sloppy and frankly near anonymous showing on Wednesday is not what’s required.

The Argentine and Tanguy Ndombele are Spurs’ main creative outlets behind Harry Kane when he is in the team and both men could have a huge part to play – he must improve.

In other news: Tottenham make signing enquiry, find out more here.