Rio Ferdinand Criticizes Carragher’s AFCON Comments as “Ignorant”

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has criticized former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher’s recent comments about the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), labeling them “ignorant.” The disagreement stems from a discussion on Sky Sports following Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City, where Carragher suggested Mohamed Salah’s Ballon d’Or prospects were diminished by playing for Egypt.

Salah has enjoyed a prolific season, scoring 25 goals in 27 Premier League appearances. However, Carragher suggested that his chances of winning the prestigious individual award were lessened because, in his view, Egypt was not considered to participate in a “major tournament” or one with realistic winning prospects. He implied that success in the Champions League or a major international tournament (like the World Cup or Euros) was essential for Ballon d’Or contention.

Carragher’s co-panelist, Micah Richards, immediately challenged this assertion, stating, “I’ll just say, AFCON is a major tournament. A lot of people at home will say they’re taking that seriously. AFCON is a major tournament, just so you know.”

Salah/AFCON/Balon d’or!

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 LFC but won the AFCON & was MVP I don’t think he would win the Balon d’or.

— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) February 24, 2025

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand echoed Richards’ sentiment. “That comment [Carragher’s] is representative of the majority of people out there,” Ferdinand said. “The majority of people out there would say that. I don’t think that’s right, I think that’s an ignorant thought process because the [Africa Cup of Nations] … If you go to Didier Drogba, Abedi Pele, Samuel Eto’o, Riyad Mahrez, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané they will tell you we have to win this.” He emphasized the importance of AFCON to African players.

Carragher subsequently responded to the criticism on social media. On Instagram, he directly addressed Ferdinand, writing, “I didn’t say that you clown, stop playing to the gallery like you always do.”

In a separate post on X (formerly Twitter), Carragher clarified his position, stating his intent was to highlight the perceived weighting of different competitions in Ballon d’Or voting, not to disparage AFCON itself. “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 LFC but won the AFCON & was MVP I don’t think he would win the Ballon d’Or,” he wrote. “Because 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/Euros he would still have a great opportunity. It’s not disrespectful if I feel the WC/Euros/CP are better tournaments it’s just my opinion when I watch them.” He conceded that saying AFCON wasn’t a “major competition” was “clumsy.” The exchange highlights differing perspectives on the relative prestige of international football competitions and their influence on individual awards.