Jamie Carragher responds to controversial comments about Mohamed Salah
Jamie Carragher has clarified his comments on the chances of Liverpool star Mohamed Salah potentially winning the Balon d’Or.
The former Red has come under fire in recent days after suggesting that Salah may struggle to lift the coveted trophy despite a spectacular season, mentioning the Africa Cup of Nations.
Carragher’s comments were implied as suggesting that the AFCON carries less weight in terms of importance in comparison to a competition like the European Championships.
Carragher can’t see Salah winning the Balon d’Or
Salah has had an outstanding season in the Premier League this term and has undoubtedly played a big part in getting the Reds back top of the table, 11 points clear of Arsenal in second place.
In 27 appearances this season, the forward has contributed 25 goals and 16 assists, rightly earning him plenty of plaudits.
| Appearances | 27 |
| Goals | 25 |
| Assists | 16 |
Despite being out of contract at the end of the current campaign and unsure of what the future holds at this stage, Salah has not let this distract him with his performances stepping up if anything.
As a result of his impressive form, it’s no wonder that the conversation of a potential Balon d’Or win this season might be on the cards for the 32-year-old.
However, Carragher admitted that he wasn’t sure if this would be possible without playing in a major tournament, claiming that the AFCON is not one.
After facing backlash for his comments, the 47-year-old took to X to explain his thoughts in a series of tweets. In his explanation, he wrote (25 February): “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 Balon d’Or.
“If Salah had an average season at Liverpool but won the AFCON and was MVP I don’t think he would win the Balon d’Or because I don’t think AFCON carries the weight of other tournaments.
“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 a quadruple that played a big role also.
“It’s not disrespectful if I feel the World Cup/Euros/CP are better tournaments it’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.”
Salah has good shot at winning the Balon d’Or
Regardless of what his aims were, it seems as though Carragher just doubled down on his thoughts with this series of messages, confirming that he doesn’t see the AFCON as a major tournament in football.
As he points out though, Sadio Mane came close to lifting the award after winning the tournament and although it has to take into account how well Liverpool were doing that season, the AFCON must have also played its part.
Given he is 32-years-old and racking up such staggering numbers in the Premier League, it would be shocking if Salah isn’t being considered for the top honour, especially as he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
What comes under consideration is something we will never truly know but if Salah isn’t considered for the award this term, that would be fairly shocking, regardless of what Egypt achieve.