Broadcaster fired for misogynistic comment against Australian women's team

Marty Sheargold, a presenter and comedian on the national radio station Triple M, was charged dearly for a misogynistic and sexist comment against the Australian women's team, which is competing in the SheBelieves Cup and will face Colombia in the final match of the tournament on Wednesday.

The presenter was removed from the radio station, according to media in that country, for a derogatory remark, when referring to the participation of the 'Matildas' in the 2026 Asian Cup, in which they will be the host country.

Sheargold said she would rather "stick a nail in my penis" than watch a game of her country's women's team. "Is there any men's sport?" she added, prompting laughter from some of her colleagues.

Sheargold apologized after the incident, but his scheduled show for Wednesday was not aired, ABC News reported.

The outlet added that the comedian and Triple M had "mutually agreed to separate."

"I fully understand the gravity of the remarks," Marty Sheargold said in a statement, offering his "sincere apologies to the Matildas and the entire organisation."

Football Federation Australia issued a statement condemning Sheargold's false start.

"Football Australia is deeply disappointed by Marty Sheargold's unacceptable comments on Triple M regarding the Matildas," it said.

The Federation called for "respectful and constructive discussions about women's sport and its participants."

"Such statements not only minimise the achievements and contributions of our national women's soccer team, but also fail to recognise the profound impact they have on Australian sport and society," she added.

Australia regularly plays in large, sell-out stadiums, attracting much larger crowds than the men's team and generally achieving better sporting results.

It is worth remembering that Australia co-hosted the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup with New Zealand, a tournament in which it reached the semi-finals.

England cut short the Matildas' dream of reaching the final by beating them 3-1 in Sydney, in a match in which FIFA reported an attendance of 75,784 spectators, the highest of the tournament.

Australia and Colombia will face each other this Wednesday in San Diego, California, in the closing match of both teams' participation in the SheBelieves Cup.

Both teams are coming off losses in their first two appearances: the Australians fell 4-0 against Japan and 2-1 against the United States.

For their part, Angelo Marsiglia's team fell 2-0 against the Americans in their debut and on Sunday, with an alternate roster, they lost 4-1 against the Japanese.