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After coming under fire for his recent comments, Jamier Carragher admitted his mistakes while still maintaining his point about the AFCON

Jamie Carragher has found himself in hot water after downplaying the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) while discussing Mohamed Salah’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or.

The Liverpool legend attempted to clarify his comments but continued to argue that the tournament does not carry the same weight with voters as other international competitions.

Carragher’s comments spark outrage

Speaking on Sky Sports after Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Manchester City, Carragher suggested that Salah’s nationality and Egypt’s lack of global success could hinder his Ballon d’Or hopes.

He claimed that Salah’s biggest obstacle is that he does not play in a “major tournament,” implying that AFCON does not hold the same prestige as competitions like the World Cup or Euros.

His remarks immediately sparked backlash, with African football legends such as Ahmed Elmohamady, Jay-Jay Okocha, John Mikel Obi, and Austin Eguavoen all criticising his stance. Many argued that AFCON is a historic and highly competitive tournament that deserves more respect on the global stage.

In response to the outrage, Carragher took to social media to explain his viewpoint, saying, “Salah is at a disadvantage playing for Egypt in terms of him winning the Ballon d’Or.”

He went on to claim that even if Salah won AFCON and was named Player of the Tournament, it would still not be enough to secure him the award, as the competition does not carry as much weight as other tournaments in the eyes of the voters.

Carragher remains adamant about AFCON

Carragher doubled down on his position during an appearance on CBS Sports, admitting that his wording was poor but standing by his argument, saying, “What I would never want to be described as a pundit is ignorant and disrespectful. So that was never my aim.

“Where I got it wrong is I was clumsy with my language in describing AFCON as not a major tournament.”

However, Carragher insisted that history backs up his point, pointing out that AFCON winners rarely feature in Ballon d’Or discussions, saying, “There’s five major tournaments out there besides the World Cup that are for their continents, obviously they are major tournaments.

“But some of them don’t resonate with the people who vote for the Ballon d’Or. And that for me was not an opinion, that was like a fact, looking at who’s won the Ballon d’Or in the last 40 or 50 years.”

Carragher rooting for Salah Ballon d’Or charge

Despite the history involved, Carragher maintained that Salah’s situation highlights a larger issue, adding:

“Yes, I’ve been banging the drum for Mo Salah to become the first African player to win the Ballon d’Or, I think since George Weah in the mid-90s.

“I should have been much tidier with my language around that, but you look at the Euros and other competitions, and some of them resonate with the Ballon d’Or voters.

“One of the reasons might be because the Ballon d’Or was the European Footballer of the Year, so maybe voters are biased towards European football.”

Despite his attempts to clarify, Carragher’s comments are unlikely to have dented the perception that he has built up in the recent week.