- The star footballer was listed within the “Titans” section of the list
- Salah is joined by fellow Arab and Muslim celebrities such as Rami Malek and Mahershala Ali
LONDON: Liverpool and Egypt striker Mohamed Salah has been named in Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2019.
The star footballer was listed within the “Titans” section of the list — which includes a record 48 women — and was championed by British comedian and US TV host John Oliver.
Oliver said of the Egyptian: “Mohamed Salah is a better human being than he is a football player. And he’s one of the best football players in the world.
“Mo is an iconic figure for Egyptians, Scousers and Muslims the world over, and yet he always comes across as a humble, thoughtful, funny man who isn’t taking any of this too seriously.”
Also in the “Titans” section were fellow sport stars LeBron James and Tiger Woods. The darling of women’s tennis Naomi Osaka was also in the list.
Salah is joined by fellow Arab and Muslim celebrities such as Rami Malek and Mahershala Ali, as well as Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.
Various world leaders have been named in 2019’s list — including US President Donald Trump, China’s Xi Jinping, Pope Francis, Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, New Zealand’s PM Jacinda Ardern, as well as the prime ministers of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed.
Time Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal wrote of the list: “We all have teachers, some we know intimately, others who inspire from the page or the screen. This holds true even for the most accomplished people on earth.
“Our annual Time 100 issue is filled with tributes from teachers to students; in many cases, the surprise is who is playing which role today.”