Mohamed Salah has achieved almost everything there is to achieve in football and after Egypt’s 3-1 victory over New Zealand, he has helped his country make history in finally winning a World Cup game.The iconic forward heads to North America as his nation’s greatest hope once again, having finished as both Egypt’s top scorer and top assist provider during qualification for this year’s tournament.Despite Egypt having more Africa Cup of Nations triumphs than anyone else, remarkably none of these have come during Salah’s international career. We’ll assess Salah’s chances of landing the major individual awards, explore the betting markets that make most appeal and examine whether Egypt can give their talisman the platform to make a meaningful impact on football’s biggest stage.Quick Mohamed Salah marketsSalah to take home the Golden Boot at 250/1 with Paddy PowerSalah to win the Golden Ball at 80/1 with bet365Best Mohamed Salah World Cup bet boostsGiven his profile, you’d expect Salah to feature heavily in bookmaker specials throughout the tournament. The reality is that Egypt’s limited expectations make that less likely than you might think. That said, there are still a handful of markets worth considering.To score anytime: If Egypt score, there’s a decent chance Salah is involved. He finished qualification with nine goals and remains the country’s penalty taker. He scored one of the three goals in the win over New Zealand.First goalscorer: Similar logic applies here. Egypt don’t spread goals around in the same way as some of the bigger nations, which means Salah is usually the obvious candidate to break the deadlock.Shots on target: I’d keep a close eye on price boosts in this market. The problem is that bookmakers know exactly who Salah is, meaning prices are often shorter than they should be. Any enhancements would certainly catch my eye.Egypt top goalscorer: Not the most exciting market, but arguably one of the safest. Salah scored nine goals during qualification, while no other Egyptian player managed more than four.Player specials: Tournament goals, group-stage goals and qualification-related specials and price boosts are probably more appealing than the major outright awards. Still, they would have to be sizeable.Mohamed Salah top goalscorer oddsWith the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi setting such a ferocious pace, Mohamed Salah – with one goal in two games – is available at 250/1 to win the Golden Boot, but it could be 660/1 as far as I’m concerned and I still wouldn’t touch it.I’ll run through the positives. He’s Mohamed Salah. The same Mohamed Salah who’s scored more than 250 goals for Liverpool and 65 for Egypt. The Egyptian team is very much built around him – he was directly involved in 60% of Egypt’s goals during qualification.And that’s where the positives end.We’ve seen over the past couple of seasons that this isn’t quite the same Salah who swept up four Premier League Golden Boots during his spell on Merseyside.More importantly, Golden Boot winners almost always come from teams that go deep into the tournament. They play lots of matches, create lots of chances and usually spend the group stage filling their boots against weaker opposition.None of that really applies to Egypt. They’re a defence-minded side who are unlikely to trouble the latter stages, even if they top their group – which they now look likely of doing. Bet on Salah to take home the Golden Boot at 250/1 with Paddy Power Mohamed Salah Golden Ball oddsHe’s also available at 80/1 to win the Golden Ball which, if you’ve read the section above, is another market I find extremely difficult to fancy.Even if Salah could somehow challenge the top goalscorers in this tournament, the Golden Ball almost always goes to a player from one of the finalists. It would take something close to a miracle for Egypt to get that far.Nobody doubts his quality. He’s one of the greatest African footballers of all time and Egypt will once again lean heavily on their captain if they’re to cause any upsets in North America.At a push, you could argue this award is subjective and voted on by members of the media. Perhaps some voters would be tempted to recognise Salah’s contribution to the game if this proves to be his final World Cup.Personally, I think that’s clutching at straws. Mohamed Salah to win the Golden Ball at 80/1 with bet365 Egypt to win the World Cup oddsNo African nation has ever won the World Cup.In fact, across 22 tournaments, only one African side has ever reached the semi-finals.That tells you everything you need to know about the size of the task facing Egypt.The Pharaohs deserve enormous credit for reaching the tournament and remain one of the better organised defensive sides at these finals.They conceded just two goals throughout qualification and boast a dangerous attacking partnership in Salah and Omar Marmoush.That said, they are priced at 250/1 to lift the trophy and it’s difficult to make much of a case against those odds. Even reaching the knockout stages would represent a successful campaign.Best ways to back Mohamed Salah during the World CupBelow are the markets that make the most appeal to me heading into the tournament, and some I’d be keen to avoid.Egypt top goalscorer: This is probably the most likely Salah bet to land. He scored nine goals during qualification, no other Egyptian player managed more than four and he was directly involved in 60% of the Pharaohs’ goals. The only issue will be the short price.Anytime goalscorer: If Egypt score, there’s a decent chance Salah is involved. It’s hardly a groundbreaking observation. This is where odds boosts and enhanced prices will make things more attractive, but he has arguably already played his most favourable opponent.Shots on target: I’d keep a close eye on this market. Salah still managed 68 shots and 19 shots on target in the Premier League last season, which are hardly the numbers of a player who’s completely fallen off a cliff. The issue is the price. Bookmakers know he’s Egypt’s main man and tend to price these markets accordingly, so I’d be looking for boosts rather than taking the standard odds.Golden Boot/Golden Ball: These are the markets I’d be steering clear of. Salah still has the quality to make an impact, but both awards are usually won by players representing teams that go deep into the tournament. Egypt simply aren’t expected to do that, making the odds look far less attractive than they first appear.Mohamed Salah previous World Cup recordMohamed Salah’s World Cup record prior to this edition is easy to summarise. He has played two matches and scored two goals.The Liverpool legend missed Egypt’s opening game at the 2018 World Cup through injury before returning to score against both Russia and Saudi Arabia before Egypt crashed out in the group stages.In fact, those remain Egypt’s only World Cup goals since their return to the tournament in 2018 and their first since 1990.It’s hardly a huge sample size, but it does reinforce two things. Salah remains Egypt’s biggest threat by some distance, while the nation continues to find life difficult on football’s biggest stage.Final verdictMohamed Salah remains one of the greatest players of his generation, but this feels like a World Cup where realism is required.The major individual awards don’t make much appeal. Egypt simply aren’t expected to score enough goals or play enough matches for Salah to seriously challenge for either the Golden Boot or Golden Ball.Instead, I’d focus on Egypt-specific markets. Egypt top goalscorer is the most likely outcome, while anytime goalscorer and shots on target boosts could become attractive when the right offers appear.World Cup 2026: More from talkSPORTWorld Cup 2026 Betting offersWorld Cup 2026 Betting tips and predictionsWorld Cup 2026 AI predictionsWorld Cup 2026 Betting guideWorld Cup 2026 Top goalscorer oddsEngland to win World Cup 2026 oddsWorld Cup 2026: Best young player oddsAbout the authorDean EtheridgeDean Etheridge is an experienced freelance sports betting writer who specialises in football, cricket, and darts, with a keen focus on the Premier League and Champions League, as well as in-depth coverage of Premier League Darts and major tournaments. He can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game and beyond, delivering expert analysis across a range of sports. He predominantly covers the Premier League and Champions League but can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game. You can follow Dean on LinkedIn (@deanetheridge)Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply.Remember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamcare – www.gamcare.org.ukFind our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.