Salah beats Ronaldo and Messi to international milestone, becomes Africa’s best

Mohamed Salah once again etched his name into football history at AFCON 2025 after reaching a landmark that places him ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on the international stage.

The Egypt captain delivered another defining performance as the Pharaohs edged Ivory Coast to reach the semifinals.

Salah hit 100 international goal contributions for Egypt during their dramatic 3–2 quarterfinal victory over Ivory Coast in Agadir, a match in which he both scored and assisted.

His decisive strike in the 52nd minute sealed Egypt’s passage into the semifinals and took his international tally to 65 goals and 35 assists in just 111 appearances.

That figure puts Salah in truly elite company. He reached the 100 mark faster than Lionel Messi, who needed 122 matches, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who required 136. Only Brazilian icons Pelé (77 games) and Neymar (94 games) have achieved the feat more quickly, according to data from Transfermarkt.

Salah now sits ahead of Romelu Lukaku, who reached 100 contributions in 113 matches, and Luis Suárez, who did so in 116.

Crucially, it makes the Liverpool forward the fastest African player in history to reach 100 international goal contributions, underlining his status as one of the continent’s greatest-ever footballers.

Salah’s impact against Ivory Coast went beyond the scoresheet. His second-half goal also saw him surpass African legends Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba to set a new AFCON record.

The Egyptian captain is now the player to have scored against the most different national teams in Africa Cup of Nations history, extending his record to 11, ahead of Eto’o, Drogba and André Ayew, who are all tied on 10.

The goal came in a pulsating contest. After Omar Marmoush opened the scoring early and Rami Rabia headed home from Salah’s cross to make it 2–0, Ivory Coast clawed their way back through an Ahmed Fatouh own goal before the break.

Salah’s composed finish after halftime restored Egypt’s cushion, and although Guela Doué pulled one back late on, the Pharaohs held firm to book a semifinal clash with Senegal.

Despite his remarkable club success, the Africa Cup of Nations remains the missing piece in Salah’s glittering international career. With records tumbling and Egypt back in the semifinals, Salah is now closer than ever to completing his legacy.