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However, Carragher has suggested that representing Egypt rather than another country could hinder Salah's chances.

During the Super Sunday coverage on Sky Sports, he stated: "The fact he's probably with Egypt, and he's probably not playing in the major tournament as such or maybe got a great chance of winning.

I think it's either the Champions League or the major tournament; normally, the player who excels in that [wins the Ballon d'Or].

Micah Richards countered Carragher's point, asserting: "AFCON is a major tournament," prompting Carragher to retort: "Egypt are not going to win the World Cup, are they?"

Richards conceded they would not but reiterated the significance of AFCON, reminding Carragher of when Salah and Mane were competing for it.

On his show 'Rio Ferdinand Presents', he rebuked Carragher, claiming that Carragher had implied AFCON "isn't of the level of a Euros or a Copa America" and added his view that this was wrong and represented an "ignorant thought process".

Disgruntled by what Ferdinand suggested, Carragher responded sharply on an Instagram post showcasing Ferdinand's comments, retorting: "I didn't say that, you clown; stop playing to the gallery like you always do."

Not long after on X, formerly Twitter, Carragher laid out his intent with a detailed thread.

He started by stating, "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.

It's not just about certain tournaments; [Andriy] Shevchenko (Ukraine) and [Robert] Lewandowski (Poland) were never going to win the World Cup/Euros to help their case for the prize.

"I don't think it's controversial at all, really; it's just a fact.

Saying it wasn't a major competition was clumsy, but I think most people watching could understand the point I was trying to make.

"The face I pulled when Micah interjected had nothing to do with the merits of the tournament; I just knew as soon as he did what the reaction was going to be!