Footballers are global icons, and Mo Salah is probably the most famous Arab and Muslim one today. But does Salah's popularity affect the way that Muslims (and Arabs) are perceived? Guy and Francesco speak to Salma Mousa, Assistant Professor of Political Science at UCLA about the 'Salah effect': how hate crimes in Liverpool and anti-Muslim tweets by Liverpool fans fell after Salah joined the club. Salma also talks about her work in Iraq to measure the effectiveness and limits of football as a tool to bring together Muslim and Christian communities. Salma also gives the FootPol Podcast its first world exclusive by sharing the result of her latest study that examines players' popularity, combining data from fantasy football!

Salma's co-authored article on the 'Salah effect' is available here and her study of Christian-Muslim integration in Iraq can be read here.