Football: Australian women's team targeted by sexist remarks

Unacceptable. The Australian Football Federation on Wednesday condemned the "unacceptable" comments made by a radio host about its women's team, the "Matildas" , calling for more respectful commentary on women's sport.

Marty Sheargold, a comedian who works on national radio station Triple M , said he would "rather drive a nail" through his penis than watch the "Matildas" at the 2026 Asian Cup in Australia. "Is there any men's sport?" he added, prompting laughter from his co-hosts.

"Football Australia is deeply disappointed by Marty Sheargold's unacceptable comments on Triple M regarding the Matildas," the federation said in a statement, while acknowledging the apologies from the presenter and the radio station.

The organisation urged "respectful and constructive discussions about women's sport and its participants" . "Such comments not only minimise the extraordinary achievements and contributions of our national women's football team, but also fail to recognise the profound impact they have had on Australian sport and society," it added.

Better known as the "Matildas" , the Australian women's soccer team regularly plays to sold-out stadiums, attracting larger crowds than the men's team and generally achieving better results.

Co-hosts with New Zealand of the Women's World Cup in 2023, the Matildas reached the semi-finals, losing to England in front of 76,000 spectators in Sydney.