The 42FM

Trump’s World Cup, where sport and politics mix freely

David Sneyd dials in from America to chat to Sinead O’Carroll and Niall Kelly about the US President’s intervention in the World Cup. Our reporter on the ground thought he might get through the rest of the World Cup talking about just football - until Donald Trump decided to call his fellow president, Gianni Infantino, the Fifa version, to see about a review to overturn Folarin Balogun’s red card against Bosnia. This duly happened, allowing the striker to face Belgium on Monday. Fifa said the decision was not influenced by Trump, but the ensuing row dominated the final days of the US World Cup campaign. It also throws up questions still being considered after the US have been eliminated by Belgium. Is there shock at Trump’s act? Or was something like this grimly predictable? To what extent is it unprecedented, even in the chequered history of Fifa? Does it taint this World Cup’s integrity? What about Mauricio Pochettino? A respected coach at the elite level, where does this leave his standing in the game? What will be the trickle down effect of other teams looking to get cards overturned? Will there be consequences, lasting or otherwise, for Fifa or Infantino? ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

What’s the story with Rhasidat Adeleke?

Still the biggest name in Irish athletics, Rhasidat Adeleke is set to make her long-awaited return to 400m action in America this Friday night – a major step on the road to August’s European Championships in Birmingham. Former world indoor champion, Olympian and analyst Derval O’Rourke joins Niall Kelly to chart a frustrating two years in Adeleke’s young career, which has seen the 23-year-old largely disappear from the public eye since her fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics. Why do we know so little about her progress and plans, and is her US coaching set-up under Edrick Floréal still bringing out the best in one of Ireland’s brightest talents? What can we expect to see on her return this week, and what will it tell us about her European medal prospects this summer? With Sharlene Mawdsley in the individual form of her career, could we see two Irish athletes fighting it out for European medals in the 400m? And what can we expect from Team Ireland more generally? ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Is this World Cup good?

Sinead O’Carroll is joined by Niall Kelly to tackle the footballing and lingering moral questions around the American World Cup Pre-competition concerns about swathes of empty seats and mismatches have not come to pass. Instead the World Cup has been the same vibrant and life-affirming festival of football it has nearly always been. The big stars have shone, the minnows have shown their mettle, the fans have created a magical atmosphere and even the sometimes indifferent citizens of the USA have been swept along with it all. But will we all feel so positive about this World Cup in years to come? Or will it be tethered to some of the actions of the Trump administrations, such as the treatment of the Iran team and referee Omar Artan, and whatever is to come in the next month? Or has this World Cup shown the best side of the US, despite Trump? With the America people have flocked to for generations in full technicolour display these past two weeks? ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Predictions Episode

Sinéad and Gavin nail their colours to the mast as they debate their big sporting predictions for the rest of 2026 and beyond. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

What is the deal with Gianni Infantino?

Sinead and Gavin discuss the Fifa president: where did he come from and how long does he plan to stick around? Infantino was elected as Fifa president in February 2016. He showed a supposedly new, more humble version of Fifa when he flew EasyJet to an IFAB meeting in the UK, saying “We are normal people and we have to behave like normal people.” He now travels on a private jet provided to him by Qatar. And Fifa recently requested a motorcade escort for their annual congress in Vancouver similar to the kind usually reserved for the Pope or the US president. Why has the head of a sporting body come to regard himself as worthy of such a show of deference? Does the Fifa presidency essentially guarantee a level of hubris, as the occupier of the office becomes further and further detached from the real world in which 99% of football supporters live? Can steps be taken to assure greater accountability for those in the role? Or are we destined to have a succession of egotistical characters speaking on behalf of the global game, while those who play, watch and love the sport roll their eyes? ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.