You could say that the overturning of US national team striker Folarin Balogun‘s red card was merely an example of Donald Trump exercising his own right of free speech when he personally asked FIFA president Gianni Infantino for assistance in overturning the suspension ahead of the US’s knock out round of 16 game against Belgium.
That the request was successful makes a mockery of fair play, laws, rules, impartiality and governance.
As I write this Belgium have defeated the US anyway, 4-1.
I’m not one normally to stir a political pot, but unless you are a US soccer fan, the overturning of the card, irrespective of whether Balogun deserved the penalty, put a huge pall over the world game and rules that it plays by.
There was no place for politics in this tournament which unites us, even if the Socceroos have departed. And yet the US President had to stick his nose where it does not belong.
I’ve thought a lot on who the decision maker was when Karl Stefanovic‘s Tommy Robinson interview was reuploaded to One Nation leader Pauline Hanson‘s official Please Explain YouTube channel.
The accompanying blurb read:
“It looks like they’re trying to sack my good friend Karl Stefanovic for this video with Tommy Robinson!
Deb Knight was a huge flop for Channel 9 and while she was busy grilling me over One Nation’s polling Channel 9’s ratings were in the toilet.
In 2019 on live TV with her, I called on Channel 9 to bring back Karl.
Now with 6 months to go on his contract the weak management of Channel 9 want to sack Karl over this interview.
Tommy Robinson has a lesson for Australians. If we don’t learn from the UK’s mistakes on immigration and radical Islam, we are going to face the same destruction.
This is exactly what Karl was trying to bring to Australia’s attention.”
It is in the first person, so if Pauline didn’t write it herself, she surely would have taken it down.
The result of Pauline also sticking her nose where is doesn’t belong also resulted in a 2-0 loss to Karl, his Nine contract which had six months left on it and a recently signed show with ARN.
Can you imagine the consequences if the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had reuploaded such an interview to his Instagram page? As it is you will note that he hasn’t shared the interview with Bushie he has now apologised for to his socials. But he was willing to when it came to the elections and a chat with Abbie Chatfield.
It is striking (pun intended) the losses that have come from political engagement where it doesn’t belong. With no clarity on how Karl’s intellectual property ended in the One Nation leader’s hands, and has remained there, Karl plays on with not one but two red cards.
Image: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 16 – United States v Belgium – Seattle Stadium, Seattle, Washington, U.S. – July 6, 2026 Folarin Balogun of the U.S. looks dejected after Belgium’s Hans Vanaken scores their third goal IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Troy Wayrynen – licenced by Radioinfo.
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo. Email: [email protected]. You can subscribe to this publication for just $199 per annum (less for community stations, students and pensioners) and support local media. Celebrate Radioinfo in its 30th year.
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