Jamie Carragher has responded to criticism over his comments about the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), clarifying that he never intended to undermine the tournament.
The Liverpool legend faced backlash after suggesting that Mohamed Salah’s chances of winning the 2025 Ballon d’Or could be affected by the lack of a major tournament victory with Egypt.
“I think the problem is that he [Salah] is with Egypt, and he’s probably not playing in a major tournament, or maybe doesn’t have a great chance of winning. I think it’s either the Champions League or a major tournament,” Carragher said.
His remarks drew criticism from African football icons such as Emmanuel Adebayor, Jay-Jay Okocha, and Ahmad Elmohamady, as well as fellow English legend Rio Ferdinand.
Speaking on CBS Sports on March 4, 2025, Carragher admitted that his wording was poor and acknowledged he could have expressed his point more carefully.
“I don’t disrespect a club, a country, a continent, an international tournament, whatever that may be. Where I got it wrong was I was clumsy with my language in describing AFCON as not a major tournament. I was trying to explain the merits of Mo Salah winning the Ballon d’Or,” he stated.
Carragher emphasized that his comments were not meant to downplay AFCON’s significance but to highlight how some tournaments might not hold as much weight with Ballon d’Or voters.
“I felt, or feel, that not just AFCON, but also the Asia Games, the Gold Cup, and to some extent the Copa America, don’t always resonate with the people who vote for the Ballon d’Or. I’ve been advocating for Mo Salah to become the first African player to win it since George Weah in the mid-90s. So, I should have been a lot tidier with my language around that,” he explained.
