JAMIE CARRAGHER responds to backlash over AFCON comment

Monday, March 3, 2025 - Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool defender, has defended his claim that the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, is inferior to other competitions.

The former defender has come under heavy criticism over the last week, following his comments about the competition.

While airing his views on why Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah might not be picked as the Ballon d’Or winner this year, Caragher said playing for Egypt may be a major factor since the country does play in a major continental competition.

The Egyptian forward has enjoyed a truly blistering run of form this season.
Many are of the opinion that Salah in the run-in for the Ballon d’Or this year.

When speaking about the winger, Carragher argued that Salah playing for Egypt in AFCON posed a problem as it was not a “major tournament as such.”

There has been a lot of backlash after the comment, leading to Jamie Carragher’s response on social media, insisting that AFCON could not be compared to the World Cup, Europaean championship or the Champions League.

“The point I was trying to make yesterday was that Mo Salah is at a disadvantage playing for Egypt in terms of him winning the Ballon d’Or. If Salah had an average season at Liverpool, but won the AFCON and was player of the tournament then I don’t think he would win the Ballon d’Or.

“I don’t think AFCON carries the weight of other tournaments. But if Mbappe had an average season at Real Madrid but won the World Cup or Euros, then he would still have a great opportunity. It’s not just about certain tournaments – [Andriy] Shevchenko and[Robert] Lewandowski were never going to win the World Cup or Euros to help their case for the prize.

“I don’t think it’s controversial at all really it’s just a fact. I know [Sadio] Mane came second a few years back after winning the tournament, but that alone wouldn’t have got him to that position. It was Liverpool being two games away from [winning the] quadruple that also played a big role.

“It’s not disrespectful if I feel the World Cup, Euros, Champions League are better tournaments. That’s just my opinion when I watch them. Saying it wasn’t a major competition was clumsy but I think most people watching could understand the point I was trying to make.”

He added: “The face I pulled when Micah interjected was nothing to do with the merits of the tournament, I just knew as soon as he did what the reaction was going to be! I get a lot people didn’t like what I said and that’s fine.”