Jamie Carragher has sparked controversy with his remarks about the Africa Cup of Nations, suggesting it is not a major tournament.

He stated: “Mohamed Salah is from Egypt and can’t win a major tournament, which could stop him from winning the Ballon d’Or.”

His comments were met with immediate backlash from Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge, who defended AFCON’s importance.

Many in the football community, including former players and journalists, condemned Carragher’s statement.

England football legend Rio Ferdinand responded:

“The Africa Cup of Nations deserves more respect. It’s important, and the federations need to do more to remind people of that.”

Former Egypt captain Ahmed Elmohamady didn’t hold back:

“Jamie Carragher doesn’t know what major tournaments are because he never won one. AFCON is a major tournament. So proud to have won it twice.”

Pooja Media criticised Carragher  : “You played with African legends in the Premier League who idolized playing at AFCON, but you still get clumsy in your description of the tournament.”

Nigerian sports journalist Adepoju Tobi Samuel (OganlaMedia)  spoke about the bigger picture, saying:

“Jamie Carragher is always disrespectful. I don’t know if this attitude is a deliberate attempt to be controversial, but I think so—it keeps him relevant.

On the flip side, can we blame Europeans for disrespecting AFCON? Maybe not. CAF must make it more attractive and lucrative.

I commend Motsepe’s tenure—AFCON’s image, numbers, and media coverage have improved. However, our inconsistent calendar fuels this disrespect. We are always available to be pushed around.

The next AFCON in December 2025–January 2026 is a joke on us. UEFA and FIFA influenced that decision.

Until we organize ourselves and make AFCON a prestigious tournament without external influence, we will always be disrespected.”

Carragher defended himself by justifying his statement, putting the Euros in the same bracket as the World Cup: “I don’t think AFCON carries the weight of other tournaments. But if Mbappé had an average season at Real Madrid but won the World Cup or Euros, he would still have a great opportunity.”