Jamie Carragher has acknowledged that he was clumsy and mistaken in describing the Africa Cup of Nations as not being a major tournament.
The former Liverpool defender faced backlash for suggesting that AFCON would have little impact on Mo Salah’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or. Critics, including Micah Richards, challenged his viewpoint, while Rio Ferdinand accused him of being ignorant.
Speaking on television for the first time since his comments on Sky Sports over a week ago, Carragher sought to clarify his stance. While he reiterated that AFCON has historically not influenced Ballon d’Or voting, he committed to choosing his words more carefully in the future.
“I have strong opinions on football, and I love debate—that will never change,” he stated on CBS Sports’ Golazo Show. “However, I would never want to be seen as ignorant or disrespectful, whether toward a player, club, country, or tournament.”
Carragher admitted his mistake, explaining: “I was clumsy in describing AFCON as not a major tournament. My point was about Mo Salah’s Ballon d’Or chances, and not just AFCON—other tournaments like the Asian Cup and Gold Cup also don’t carry the same weight in Ballon d’Or voting. The reality is that, over the past 40 to 50 years, these tournaments have rarely influenced the award’s outcome.”
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