He may be about to play in the biggest match of his life, but Mohamed Salah is going to approach the Champions League final as if it is just another game.
The Egyptian ace has been the key man in Liverpool’s march to Saturday’s showdown in Kiev against Real Madrid, scoring 11 goals and setting up a further four. Added to that has been his dynamic domestic form with the 25-year-old’s 32 LePremier ague strikes setting a new record and helping him land a host of awards, among them the coveted PFA Player of the Year gong.
All that has piled the pressure on Salah ahead of the final. But if you thought that would get to him then think again, with the Liverpool talisman claiming he is going into the clash as he would any other match.
“I cannot put more pressure on myself so I just play a normal game for me,” Salah said at a press conference announcing he is the new DHL brand ambassador for the MENA region.
“Of course, it is different, it’s the final of the Champions League, but you have to take it easy, relax and enjoy the game.
“Every match is different, this is my first Champions League final so I am very excited. It is of course a very important game.
“But I am trying not to take it too seriously and not put myself under too much pressure, both for me as an individual and the team as a whole.”
It should perhaps come as no surprise to hear the Liverpool and Egypt star talk about the biggest game in club football in such understated terms. Salah’s 44 goals have all come with the kind of smile on his face which suggests he is playing with a freedom normally associated with a kid having a kickabout with his mates in the park. Added to that, Liverpool’s progression to the final has come virtue of a devil-may-care attitude that hints that passion rather than pressure is what has been on their mind every time they walk onto the pitch.
That philosophy has been instilled to them by their coach Jurgen Klopp. The German is revered as much by the players as by Liverpool’s fans and Salah is in no doubt as to how important he has been to his form and the team’s remarkable Champions League run.
“From day one we are friends, he treats me like a friend,” Salah said of Klopp.
“We are very close to each other but still he’s the coach and I am a player. He is a great man and as a coach you can see everyone loves him.”
Standing in the way of Salah and Co. from lifting Liverpool’s sixth European Cup are Real Madrid. While the Spanish giants have not hit the heights of previous campaigns, they stand on the verge of a third Champions League crown in a row, and, with Cristiano Ronaldo in fine form, will provide the Reds’ toughest test yet.
Such has been the heights he has hit this season that Salah has often been compared to Lionel Messi and Ronaldo, and touted to become the first player since 2007 other than that duo to win the Ballon d’Or. It is a comparison he has sought to distance himself from and once again he downplayed any idea that the final was a case of him verses the Portuguese star.
“He is a top-level player, but as he said he plays with his right foot and I play with my left,” Salah said.
“We are both focused on playing well in the final and trying to win it for our teams. All I can do is try hard and focus on doing well for Liverpool.
“I want to get to a higher and higher level, I am hoping to do well in the final and we are going to go there to do well in the final and to try and claim the trophy.”
Mohamed Salah viewing Champions League final against Real Madrid as ‘just another match’
Mohamed Salah viewing Champions League final against Real Madrid as ‘just another match’
- The Egyptian ace has been the key man in Liverpool’s march to Saturday’s showdown in Kiev against Real Madrid
- “Every match is different, this is my first Champions League final so I am very excited. It is of course a very important game”
Why 2026 could be Saudi Arabia’s most important sporting year yet
RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia accelerates toward hosting some of the world’s biggest sporting events, the focus has shifted from spectacle to systems.
Under Vision 2030, building long-term capability in event-hosting has become as important as attracting the events themselves. And 2026 may be the year where that strategy is comprehensively tested more than ever.
The calendar alone hints at its significance. A mix of returning global fixtures and first-time arrivals will have Saudi Arabia host a near-continuous run of major events across multiple sports, creating an opportunity to refine and scale its hosting model.
The year begins with the Dakar Rally, which returns to Saudi Arabia for a seventh edition. More than 900 drivers will traverse over 7,000 km of desert terrain in one of the most logistically demanding events in world sport.
Shortly after, attention shifts to Al-Inma Stadium, with the Spanish Super Cup bringing Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid to Jeddah.
A new arrival will make its way to Saudi Arabia just a day prior: the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, a key tournament on the road to AFC Asian Cup 2027.
Sixteen nations will compete, offering a rehearsal not just for players, but also organizers and infrastructure ahead of the Kingdom’s first continental flagship event.
January 2026 also marks a milestone beyond the confines of traditional sport. The WWE Royal Rumble — part of the WWE’s “Big Four” Premium Live Events — will be staged outside of North America for the first time.
Riyadh is set to be the stage for the larger-than-life professional wrestling characters that have wowed Saudi fans on many an occasion in recent years.
The remainder of 2026 continues in similar fashion. Events confirmed include the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Formula E, AFC U-17 Asian Cup, eSports World Cup, WTA Finals, Gulf Cup and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
These events form a calendar that includes elite competition, youth development, mass participation and digital sport.
What makes 2026 particularly important — despite the presence of much larger events in the following years, such as the AFC Asian Cup, the Asian Games and the FIFA World Cup — is not the scale of individual events, but the volume and variety.
These events will allow Saudi Arabia to deepen its operational expertise and test its ability to deliver consistently across a range of disciplines. This approach aligns with the Kingdom’s broader national objectives.
According to the Vision 2030 website, adult participation in physical activity for at least 150 minutes a week reached 59.1 percent in 2025, breaking past the 2027 target.
Also, children’s participation has risen to 19 percent, speeding past the 2029 goal by four years. Major events, in this context, are not endpoints, but catalysts for the rapid growth on show.
That is why tournaments such as the AFC U-23 Asian Cup and AFC U-17 Asian Cup sit alongside the global spectacles on the 2026 calendar.
More than just a way of bringing as many events as possible to the Kingdom, they represent pathways for athletes, fans, volunteers and organizers to engage with sport at every level, while contributing to Saudi Arabia’s growing identity as a capable and credible host.
By the time the Kingdom turns its full attention to the AFC Asian Cup 2027 — just over 12 months from now — much of the groundwork will have already been laid.
In that sense, it is clear to see that 2026 will not just be about headlines, but also building the Kingdom’s readiness for the sheer variety of events to come.
