Egyptian football icon and Liverpool forward Mo Salah walks alongside controversial Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov in Grozny, the capital city of the Chechen Republic, in southern Russia.
A fan captured the moment on the evening of June 10 at the local Akhmat-Arena, named after former leader Akhmat Kadyrov – Ramzan's late father who was assassinated in an explosion in 2004.
Ramzan Kadyrov has developed a controversial reputation over the years. Under his leadership, Chechnya has made global headlines for its crackdown on LGBT people and political dissent, and attacks on journalists.
The Egyptian national football team has its World Cup training base in Chechnya for the duration of the event.
The squad is training in the region ahead of their first match against Uruguay in Yekaterinburg on Friday.
Kadyrov told Russian media that Mo Salah is the "best footballer in the world and an overall perfect person."
