While Egypt bows out, Salah surpasses Messi & Ronaldo in historic International record

Mohamed Salah has achieved something remarkable, he's reached the 100 goal contribution milestone for Egypt in fewer international matches than both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo managed for their respective countries. Despite Egypt's semi-final exit from AFCON 2025 at the hands of Senegal, Salah's extraordinary international record continues to shine brightly.

Breaking down the numbers

The statistics speak for themselves. Salah hit the 100 goal contributions mark in just 111 appearances for Egypt, a feat that places him ahead of two of football's greatest ever players:

• Lionel Messi – Required 122 games for Argentina

• Cristiano Ronaldo – Required 136 games for Portugal

Messi, often considered by many to be the sport's greatest talent, has since extended his tally to an outstanding 176 goal contributions across 196 games for Argentina. Ronaldo, who holds the all-time international goals record with 143 for Portugal, took considerably longer to accumulate his century of combined goals and assists.

Where Salah stands historically

When comparing Salah to the fastest players in international football history to reach this milestone, his achievement becomes even more impressive. The top performers are:

1. Pele – 77 games

2. Neymar – 94 games

3. Mohamed Salah – 111 games

4. Romelu Lukaku – 113 games

5. Luis Suarez – 116 games

6. Lionel Messi – 122 games ...

   Cristiano Ronaldo is 9th in the list. It took him 136 games to produce 100 goal contributions.

A bittersweet achievement

While this milestone underscores Salah's status among international football's elite, the timing is tinged with disappointment. During the AFCON tournament, Salah contributed 4 goals and 1 assist, which is solid numbers on paper. However, when it mattered most in the semi-final against Senegal, he failed to make an impact. Egypt's campaign ended in heartbreak, leaving Salah's search for his first continental title unfinished once again. It's a cruel irony that his record-breaking international pace stands in stark contrast to his inability to deliver in AFCON's biggest moments.

Next generation

Among today's active players, only Erling Haaland appears capable of challenging these elite records. The Norwegian striker has amassed 61 goal contributions in just 48 games, a pace that could potentially threaten even Pele's historic benchmark if sustained.