Egyptian football icon Mohamed Salah has once again written his name into the record books at AFCON 2025, achieving a historic feat that places him ahead of global superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on the international stage.
The Egypt captain produced another standout display as the Pharaohs defeated Ivory Coast to secure a place in the semi-finals.
Salah Reaches 100 Goal Contributions in Record Time
Salah reached 100 international goal contributions for Egypt during their thrilling 3–2 quarter-final victory over Ivory Coast in Agadir, registering both a goal and an assist in the encounter.
His 52nd-minute strike proved decisive, taking his international record to 65 goals and 35 assists in just 111 appearances. This achievement saw him reach the landmark faster than Messi, who did so in 122 matches, and Ronaldo, who needed 136 games. Only Brazilian greats Pelé, who achieved the feat in 77 matches, and Neymar, in 94, reached the milestone more quickly, according to Transfermarkt data.
The Liverpool forward has now surpassed Romelu Lukaku, who reached 100 contributions in 113 games, and Luis Suárez, who did so in 116. More significantly, Salah is now the fastest African player ever to hit 100 international goal contributions, further cementing his status as one of the continent’s all-time greats.
New AFCON Record as Egypt Advance
Salah’s influence against Ivory Coast extended beyond his goal contribution. His second-half strike also saw him break another Africa Cup of Nations record, moving ahead of legendary figures Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba.
The Egyptian talisman is now the player to have scored against the most different national teams in AFCON history, with goals against 11 opponents, surpassing Eto’o, Drogba and André Ayew, who each scored against 10.
The match itself was a high-tempo affair. Omar Marmoush opened the scoring early before Rami Rabia doubled Egypt’s lead with a header from a Salah cross. Ivory Coast responded before halftime via an Ahmed Fatouh own goal, but Salah’s calm finish after the break restored Egypt’s advantage. A late strike from Guela Doué raised the tension, but Egypt held on to book a semi-final showdown with Senegal.
Despite his immense success at club level, an AFCON title remains the missing honour in Salah’s international career. With records falling and Egypt back among the last four, the Liverpool star is edging ever closer to completing his legacy.