Mohamed Salah stars on cover of TIME 100

Other athletes on the list include the NBA's LeBron James, U.S. soccer's Alex Morgan, tennis player Naomi Osaka, middle distance runner Caster Semenya, golfer Tiger Woods, and pro gamer "Ninja" (Richard Tyler Blevins).While this is the first time Salah has featured on the list, Woods — who won the Masters on Sunday in one of sport's greatest comeback stories — has featured three times and LA Lakers' James four. Two-time grand slam champion Osaka, forward Morgan — who is expected to star in this year's Women's World Cup — and double Olympic champion Semenya are among a record 48 women on the list. READ: Woods' Masters win has Nicklaus 'shaking in my boots'

A breakthrough season for Salah

Salah's global popularity surged last year when he enjoyed a breakthrough season with Liverpool, scoring 44 goals in the 2017-18 campaign and helping the English Premier League side reach the Champions League final. While goals haven't flowed as freely for the Egyptian this campaign, the forward is still this season's joint-leading scorer in the EPL and his wonder strike last weekend helped Liverpool defeat Chelsea, continuing the Reds' pursuit of a first Premier League title.READ: Matthijs de Ligt, Ajax's homegrown hero"Mo Salah is a better human being than he is a football player. And he's one of the best football players in the world," writes comedian and Liverpool fan John Oliver in his TIME's dedication to the player."You'd be hard-pressed to find a professional athlete in any sport less affected by their success or status than Mo, which is incredible because I can't imagine the kind of pressure that comes with the intensity of adoration he receives. "Mo is an iconic figure for Egyptians, Scousers and Muslims the world over, and yet he always comes across as a humble, thoughtful, funny man who isn't taking any of this too seriously."As a footballer, he plays with an infectious joy. I've alwaysRead More – Source

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CNN

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