M Salah turned 34 on Monday. Egypt played Belgium in Seattle on the same day. He is still a player who can decide games in moments, but his speed is no longer the same weapon it once was.
Mohamed Salah and Liverpool
The shift is simple enough to see. Salah still waits for the right opening and then attacks it, but he no longer wins as many races on his own. That makes structure matter more than reputation.
At Liverpool, he has been at his best with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino around him. Last season, he was on the periphery in a lot of Liverpool games, and Arne Slot did not agree to try him as a centre forward.
Egypt, Emam Ashour, and Mohamed Hany
With Egypt, he needs Emam Ashour, Marwan Attia, and Mohamed Hany to be effective. That is the practical version of the idea that Salah does not simply carry a side by himself. He works best when the pieces around him are in place.
The comparison with Lionel Messi is direct. Messi won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022 on his fifth attempt, after a long run of near-misses, and the lesson is that even the biggest name still needs the right shape around him.
Hossam Hassan in Seattle
Hossam Hassan planned a surprise in Seattle involving three players, including Salah, switching positions. That is the part to watch for Egypt: how much freedom Salah gets, and how much the team asks him to adapt as his pace fades.
Egypt have not qualified for the World Cup since 1990, so every adjustment around Salah sits inside a larger pressure point. If he is used as a pure carry threat, the limits of his speed will show quickly. If Egypt build around timing, support, and rotation, he can still wait for the moments that decide a match.
