Liverpool FC's Mo Salah has come under fire for posing shirtless on the cover of men's magazine GQ after winning the publication’s Man of the Year award, sparking a debate about double standards of 'modesty' norms.
Images of the shoot, which were released on Friday, showed the Egyptian footballer alongside Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio, who won the magazine's Fashion Icon award.
"Each time he steps on a pitch, Mohamed Salah balances the expectations of a nation – and one of the world’s most famous football clubs," GQ said of Salah.
But once the photos reached social media, it was a different sort of expectations which came up for debate.
Salah, who has achieved international renown through his football career, has been lionized by fans as a paragon of humility, as well as an ambassador to the West for Arabs and Muslims.
But the debate that arose on social media has brought to the fore a more serious issue.
