The Liverpool FC star player fended off competition from his Anfield teammate Sadio Mane and Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly to claim the prize.
Juventus defender Mehdi Benatia and Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey were also in the running for the award.
The 26-year-old Mohammed Salah finished his first season at Anfield as top scorer in the English Premier League after finding the net on 32 occasions.
In total, the Egyptian scored 44 times in all competitions last season and has continued that form this campaign, where he currently leads the scoring charts alongside Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with 10 goals.
A record number of votes were cast for the 2018 award, with the BBC receiving more than 650,000.
Salah becomes the first player since Nigeria’s Jay-Jay Okocha to win the award in consecutive years.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Supersand Eagles have been defeated by Senegal in the final of the Beach Soccer African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Senegalese side won the game 6-1, following a more clinical performance than their first meeting with Nigeria at the start of the tournament.
Despite the second period ending at a respectable 2-1, they went all fangs out in the third and final period to win 6-1.
Abu Azeez, who scored four in the 7-6 semi-final defeat of hosts Egypt, scored the Supersand Eagles’ only goal of the match.
He finished the tournament with eight goals while his total tally for Nigeria hit 104.
As the second placed team, the Nigerian team qualified for the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
Both Senegal and Nigeria will fly Africa’s flag at the tournament in Paraguay.
