Ronaldo and Messi have officially been surpassed in a historic milestone

Mohamed Salah achieved the milestone of contributing to goals at the national team level quicker than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

In the quarter-final match against Ivory Coast, Salah scored and officially reached 100 goal involvements for the Egyptian national team. This goal was crucial in securing a thrilling 3-2 victory for Egypt. Salah’s 100 goal contributions consist of 65 goals and 35 assists, achieved over 111 appearances for the “Pharaohs.” He made his national team debut in 2011 and has remained a key player for 15 years.

Despite winning numerous major trophies at club level, Salah has yet to claim a major honor with Egypt. He has reached the AFCON final twice with the team but finished as runner-up both times. The year 2026 is seen as a chance for Salah to break this pattern, as he currently serves as captain and leads the team’s quest for the continental title.

Statistics show Salah reached the 100 goal involvement mark for the national team quicker than many football legends worldwide. He needed fewer matches than both Messi and Ronaldo to achieve this, although he still ranks behind two Brazilian icons. Specifically, Pelé required only 77 matches to reach this milestone, while Neymar, Brazil’s greatest scorer, took 94 games. Salah ranks just after Neymar and Pelé, ahead of Romelu Lukaku (113 matches) and Luis Suarez (116 matches).

Lionel Messi reached 100 goal contributions after 122 matches for Argentina and currently holds 115 international goals. Ali Daei, Iran’s legendary forward, reached this milestone after 123 matches. Robert Lewandowski needed 128 matches for Poland, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Miroslav Klose each took 136 appearances to reach the same figure.

Salah expressed satisfaction with Egypt’s performance. After the win against Ivory Coast, he said: “It was a perfect victory. We are fighting for our country. The next match will be tough, but the entire team will give their all. No one is holding anything back; everyone is fighting hard.”

Egypt’s advancement to the AFCON semifinals also means Salah will continue to be absent from Liverpool’s lineup. He has missed matches against Tottenham, Wolves, Leeds, Fulham, and Arsenal. Coach Arne Slot will also be without Salah for the FA Cup match against Barnsley.

The AFCON final is scheduled for January 18. Should Egypt progress further, Salah is likely to miss the Premier League match against Burnley. Although there were rumors about his future at Liverpool before joining the national team,Salah is still expected to remain with the club, at least for the next few months under the two-year contract extension signed in April 2025.