Banter has now become an integral aspect of soccer culture. Be it playful teasing or pulling pranks, the tickling of funny bones never stops. In an interesting revelation, Mohamed Salah, who is yet to live his Lionel Messi moment, has found a unique way to get under the skin of his Liverpool teammate, Virgil van Dijk. The Egyptian uses La Pulga’s ‘idiot‘ catchphrase to drive the defender ‘crazy.’

Recently, Liverpool’s midfielder Alexis Mac Allister shed light on a side-splitting revelation. The Argentine unveiled how he and the Egyptian winger, Salah, enjoy pulling van Dijk’s leg. The midfielder said, “All the time Mohamed Salah and I say ‘Bobo Camera’ to Virgil van Dijk, we drive him crazy.” Notably, this is the same phrase that Lionel Messi controversially used during the post-match interview during the QFs of the 2022 FIFA World Cup between Argentina and the Netherlands.   

The 36-year-old had abruptly halted his conversation to engage in a heated confrontation with Dutch striker Wout Weghorst. As Weghorst approached him, Lionel Messi vehemently exclaimed, “Qué miras, bobo? Andá para allá!” while looking off-camera, which translates to “What are you looking at, idiot? Go over there!”. La Albiceleste saw Holland make a 2-2 comeback, with the match being decided by penalties. In the end, Lionel Scaloni’s side won 3-4 in the shootout. Interestingly, that wasn’t the only heated incident that night. 

Lionel Messi had even indulged in a heated exchange with Louis van Gaal. Nevertheless, despite all the challenges, the Argentine icon was able to achieve glory with his nation, something that Salah is still trying to do. 

Mohamed Salah is still awaiting his Lionel Messi glory moment!

It’s no secret that Mohamed Salah plays quite similarly to levels of Lionel Messi. In fact, the Liverpool legend has often been dubbed as the ‘next Messi.‘ Salah has managed to cement his reputation and become a household name in the soccer world. But forget the World Cup; the 31-year-old is yet to win an international trophy for his beloved country. It doesn’t end here, as many in Egypt don’t consider Salah the GOAT!

Mohamed Aboutreika is the name fervently chanted by Egyptians. The former midfielder won two African Cups in 2006 and 2008, netting 38 goals in 105 appearances. But this fell short when compared to Salah, who, since his debut for the national team in 2011, has scored 54 goals in 96 appearances. Although the Egyptian King is a few games away from overtaking the appearance record, the real challenge of winning a piece of silverware persists.

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