Egyptian Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has broken the international record after scoring 100 goal contributions for the Egyptian national team since his debut in 2011, surpassing football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the speed of reaching this achievement.
Salah’s contributions include 65 goals and 35 assists across 111 international matches, making him the fastest among top players to reach this record. He achieved this historic milestone during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final match against Ivory Coast, which ended in a 3-2 victory for Egypt, leading the Pharaohs to the semi-finals.
Salah surpasses top players like Romelu Lukaku (113 matches) and Luis Suárez (116 matches), while the highest records belong to Brazilian icons Pelé (77 matches) and Neymar (94 matches).
When compared to European football legends, Messi reached 100 contributions after 122 matches, while both Ronaldo and Miroslav Klose needed 136 international matches.
Former Iranian star Ali Daei also recorded 100 contributions in 123 matches, while Robert Lewandowski took 128 matches with Poland to reach the century mark.
Despite his remarkable achievements with English club Liverpool, winning the Africa Cup of Nations remains a primary goal for Salah to solidify his status as a continental legend.
The 33-year-old player expressed his happiness with what the Egyptian national team has achieved so far, confirming that the team will fight for the title in the final scheduled for January 18th.
Egypt
Egypt is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, with a recorded history spanning over 5,000 years and famed for its monumental pharaonic architecture like the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. Its rich cultural legacy, from ancient hieroglyphs and mythology to its pivotal role in the Greco-Roman and Islamic worlds, continues to be central to its national identity. Modern Egypt remains a major cultural and political center in the Arab world, with its history deeply embedded in the landscape along the Nile River.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a historic port city in northwest England, which grew to global prominence during the 18th and 19th centuries through its involvement in the transatlantic trade. Its maritime mercantile heritage is recognized in its UNESCO-designated waterfront, and the city is also internationally famed as the birthplace of The Beatles.
Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah is an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liverpool FC and the Egypt national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, known for his speed, finishing, and playmaking. Salah’s history includes leading Egypt to the 2018 FIFA World Cup and breaking numerous scoring records in the Premier League.
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His history is defined by a record-breaking career at FC Barcelona, where he won numerous team and individual awards, before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and later joining Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is not a place or cultural site, but a world-renowned Portuguese professional footballer. He is widely considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, having won numerous team and individual awards while playing for clubs like Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
Africa Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations is the premier international men’s football competition in Africa, first held in 1957. It was founded to celebrate African football and foster unity among the continent’s newly independent nations, and it is organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, officially known as Côte d’Ivoire, is a West African nation with a history shaped by pre-colonial kingdoms, French colonization from the late 19th century, and independence in 1960. A significant cultural site is the historic town of Grand-Bassam, a UNESCO World Heritage site that was the first French colonial capital and features colonial architecture alongside traditional Nzema houses. The country is also renowned for its diverse cultural traditions, including music genres like *coupé-décalé* and vibrant festivals celebrated by its many ethnic groups.
Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a striker, known for his powerful physique and prolific goal-scoring record for clubs like Inter Milan and the Belgian national team. He began his senior career with R.S.C. Anderlecht in 2009 before moving to the English Premier League, establishing himself as one of the most prominent forwards of his generation.
Luis Suárez
Luis Suárez is a world-renowned Uruguayan professional footballer, not a physical place or cultural site. He is best known for his prolific scoring career at clubs like Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid, and for his key role in the Uruguayan national team, with whom he won the 2011 Copa América.
Brazil
Brazil is the largest country in South America, known for its vast Amazon rainforest and vibrant cultural exports like samba and football. Its modern history began with Portuguese colonization in 1500, leading to an independent empire in 1822 and the establishment of a republic in 1889. The nation is characterized by its diverse population, a legacy of indigenous peoples, European settlers, and Africans brought during the transatlantic slave trade.
Pelé
Pelé is a nickname for Edson Arantes do Nascimento, widely regarded as one of the greatest football (soccer) players in history. The Brazilian forward’s career, most notably with Santos FC and the New York Cosmos, spanned from 1956 to 1977, during which he won three FIFA World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970) and became a global sporting icon.
Neymar
Neymar is not a place or cultural site, but a famous Brazilian professional footballer. He began his career at Santos FC in Brazil before gaining global prominence with FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, and he is a key player for the Brazilian national team.
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose is a German football stadium in the city of Kaiserslautern, named in honor of the country’s all-time top goal scorer. It was originally opened in 1920 and was known as the Fritz-Walter-Stadion until 2024, in tribute to the captain of West Germany’s 1954 World Cup-winning team. The renaming celebrates Klose, who played for the local club 1. FC Kaiserslautern and scored a record 16 World Cup finals goals for Germany.
Iran
Iran, historically known as Persia, is home to one of the world’s oldest continuous major civilizations, with a rich history spanning thousands of years from the ancient Achaemenid Empire to the modern Islamic Republic established in 1979. Its cultural landscape is marked by significant sites like Persepolis, the magnificent ceremonial capital of the First Persian Empire, and the stunning Islamic architecture of Isfahan’s Naqsh-e Jahan Square.
Ali Daei
Ali Daei is a former Iranian professional footballer and striker, widely celebrated for holding the world record for most international goals scored (109) for over a decade. His career, most notably with the Iranian national team and clubs like Persepolis and Bayern Munich, made him a national icon and a symbol of sporting achievement in Iran and across Asia.
Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski is a Polish professional footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation. He gained global prominence during his tenure with Bayern Munich, where he broke numerous scoring records, including a historic 41-goal season in the Bundesliga.
Poland
Poland is a Central European country with a rich and complex history, marked by its establishment as a unified state in the 10th century, the formation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and its later partitions and eventual restoration of sovereignty in the 20th century. Its cultural heritage is exemplified by sites like the historic center of Kraków, the Wieliczka Salt Mine, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial, which reflect its artistic achievements and profound historical experiences.
England
England is a country within the United Kingdom with a long and influential history, having been unified under the Kingdom of England in the 10th century. It was the historic core of the vast British Empire and is renowned for its global cultural impact, from the English language and parliamentary democracy to landmarks like Stonehenge and Westminster Abbey.
