Mohamed Salah faces criticism from Muslim fans over Christmas photo

In recent years, Salah has made it a tradition to post photos of his family beside a Christmas tree. This year was no exception, even though he is currently away with Egypt at AFCON. The Liverpool star uploaded a picture of his daughters, Makka, 11, and Kayan, 5, sitting in front of a decorated tree with a large ribbon.

Salah captioned the post simply with “#MerryChristmas”. However, the image soon attracted criticism from some Muslim fans, with several expressing disappointment. One Instagram user commented: “I thought you wouldn’t celebrate this festival, which is forbidden in our faith.”

Another wrote: “Mo Salah, I loved you as a Manchester City fan. I viewed you as my role model. Even though you never played for Manchester City, you inspired me. However, after this post, I can no longer see you as my role model. You broke my heart. If you don’t delete this post, I will unfollow you.”

At the same time, many fans came to Salah’s defence, including both Muslims and non-Muslims. Several praised him for promoting unity and tolerance despite religious differences. One supporter commented: “The world would be a better place if we tolerated our differences.”

Another Muslim fan added: “I’ve been waiting for this picture since the beginning of December. So happy to see it. It gives both haters and lovers something to talk about. You never disappoint. I pray that this joy continues to fill your family and the world. God bless you.”

Salah has been sharing Christmas photos with his family since 2018, and each year the posts attract mixed reactions. Despite recurring criticism, the Egyptian forward has never publicly addressed the backlash and is known for maintaining a low profile.

On the pitch, Salah is currently captaining Egypt at AFCON 2025. He scored in their opening 2-1 win over Zimbabwe, and Egypt will face South Africa later today at 9:00 PM. A victory would secure their place in the knockout stage.