The international break is always a time that divides opinion among football fans. Some see it as a necessary pause for nations to fight for pride, for qualification, for tournaments that mean the world to them. Others see it as nothing more than an annoying disruption to the flow of club football, a dangerous period where players can pick up injuries, waste energy, and return more exhausted than before. For Liverpool supporters, this latest international break has brought with it the usual mixture of hope, worry, and now frustration. Because once again, Mohamed Salah has been placed in a situation that could have consequences for Liverpool’s season, even though he did not suffer any injury. What happened in Cairo has left fans fuming, and deep down, it has left the club frustrated too.
Egypt faced Burkina Faso in a World Cup qualifying clash at the Cairo International Stadium. For Egypt, the stakes were simple but heavy. A win on the night would have sealed their qualification for the 2026 World Cup with two games to spare. For Salah, it was a chance to secure his place on the biggest stage for what might be the final time in his career. The crowd roared his name, the red shirts filled the stands, and the hope was thick in the air. But after ninety tense minutes, the scoreline read 0-0. Egypt had failed to secure the victory, and now their qualification journey stretches into October. What should have been an evening of joy turned into another reminder of how difficult football can be, and for Liverpool, another reason to worry about the demands being placed on their superstar.
Salah did everything he could on the night. He worked tirelessly, drifted wide, cut inside, demanded the ball, and carried the weight of his country on his shoulders. In the 66th minute, he seemed to have done it. He broke free, found the net, and celebrated as the stadium erupted. But the flag went up. The referee ruled it offside. Replays later showed it was the wrong decision, a mistake that denied Salah and Egypt the goal they deserved. For the Liverpool winger, it was another cruel twist in a career where international football has rarely been kind to him. For Liverpool fans watching, it was agony. Not only did Salah’s goal not count, but it meant Egypt still had work to do, and therefore Salah still has work to do when the international break returns in October.
That is the heart of the frustration. Liverpool would have loved for Salah to qualify early with Egypt, to return to club duty knowing that his place at the World Cup was secure, to be able to take it easier in October, maybe even get some rest while his teammates across the world were playing qualifiers. But now that luxury has been denied. Salah will have to go again next month, fully committed, fully focused, and once again carrying Egypt’s dreams on his back. Liverpool are desperate to protect him, to manage his minutes, to keep him fresh for what promises to be a long, brutal Premier League season. But Salah is Egypt, and Egypt is Salah. There is no escape.
And the timing could not be more delicate. Liverpool are trying to defend their Premier League title under new manager Arne Slot, and the early weeks of the season have already shown that margins will be razor thin. Manchester City may have stumbled, but they remain a threat. Arsenal, Chelsea, and even Newcastle are hovering, ready to pounce. In such a climate, every game matters, every percentage of fitness matters. Salah has been the talisman for Liverpool for years, the man who guarantees goals, who delivers in the toughest moments. To have him return from internationals drained, both physically and mentally, is something the club fears deeply.
For Salah himself, the frustration is personal. He knows that the 2026 World Cup will be his last chance to shine on the grandest stage of them all. He will be 34 years old when the tournament kicks off across the USA, Mexico, and Canada. By then, he will not have the same pace, the same sharpness, the same endless energy that has defined his career. This is it. This is his final shot to lead Egypt into glory, to show the world that his brilliance extends beyond club football, to rewrite the painful memories of 2018. Back in Russia, Salah was recovering from a shoulder injury inflicted during the Champions League final, his body was weak, his spirit was battered, and Egypt crashed out without a point. That World Cup still haunts him. Qatar 2022 never even happened for him, as Egypt failed to qualify after heartbreak against Senegal. Now, 2026 is his last dance, and that desperation means he will not slow down, not even for Liverpool.
The emotional toll of international football is something people often underestimate. For Salah, every Egypt game is not just a match, it is a battle for legacy, a fight for pride, and a chance to carry millions of voices on his shoulders. When his goal was wrongly ruled out against Burkina Faso, it was not just a mistake, it was a dagger into his dream. He knows that qualifying should already be sealed. He knows that now, in October, he will have to summon more strength, more energy, and more determination. For Liverpool, that means more risk, more miles in his legs, more chance of injury or exhaustion. And that is why the club feels frustrated.
Some will argue that Liverpool should not complain. After all, every club loses players to internationals. But with Salah, it is different. He is not just another player. He is the heartbeat of Liverpool’s attack, the leader on the pitch, the symbol of their modern success. Without him at his best, Liverpool are weaker, less frightening, less certain. Slot knows this. The fans know this. The whole Premier League knows this. Which is why every time Salah plays for Egypt, there is a collective holding of breath at Anfield. Not because they do not want him to succeed for his country, but because they know how much it costs him, and how much that cost can affect Liverpool.
Now, Egypt still need two more points from games against Djibouti and Guinea-Bissau. On paper, it should be simple. Two weaker opponents, two matches where Salah should shine, and Egypt should qualify comfortably. But in football, nothing is ever guaranteed. Every tackle is a risk, every sprint a test. For Liverpool, the October break cannot come fast enough, and yet it cannot end fast enough either. They will count down the minutes until Salah returns to Melwood, pray that he comes back safe, and then try to manage the fire in him that never dies.
There is also the psychological burden. Salah is a man obsessed with winning, with records, with perfection. To be denied a goal by a wrong offside call eats at him. To see qualification delayed eats at him. He will return to Liverpool with that frustration inside him. Sometimes, that frustration fuels him, makes him unstoppable. Other times, it drags on him, makes him overwork, overthink, overpush. Slot’s challenge will be to channel that energy into Liverpool’s campaign, to make Salah’s anger work for the club and not against it.
In many ways, this story sums up the eternal conflict between club and country. For Liverpool, Salah is theirs, the jewel of their crown, the man they rely on. For Egypt, Salah is theirs, the hope of a nation, the face of their football. Neither side can compromise, and Salah is caught in the middle, forced to give everything to both. It is noble, it is heroic, but it is also exhausting. And as fans, as journalists, as observers, we can only watch as the drama unfolds, knowing that every game he plays for Egypt has consequences far beyond Cairo.
Liverpool’s frustration is not anger at Salah. They adore him, they respect him, they know he will never hold back. Their frustration is with circumstance, with timing, with fate itself. A wrongly ruled out goal, a missed chance to secure qualification early, a future October break that will now be filled with intensity instead of rest. These are the small details that shape a season. These are the twists that decide titles. And as Liverpool prepare to return to Premier League action, they do so with one eye on October, one eye on Egypt, and both eyes on Salah.
Because make no mistake, Mohamed Salah is still the king of Anfield, the king of Cairo, and the king of hearts around the world. But even kings get tired, even kings feel frustration, and even kings face battles on too many fronts. For Liverpool, the hope is simple: may Salah’s fire burn bright for both club and country, and may fate be kinder in the months to come
