So here we have Donald Trump weighing in on FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban. According to him, this was a “right decision” to avoid a “big stain” on the World Cup. But let’s get real: is anyone surprised by Trump’s foray into sports politics? It’s as if he’s looking for every opportunity to insert himself into the conversation, no matter how tenuous the connection.

Now, take a good look at how mainstream media is framing this. Outlets like CNN and MSNBC are licking their lips at the thought of Trump stirring the pot yet again, but they’re not doing it in a way that prompts critical analysis. Instead, they’re hyper-focusing on his comments as if they hold some kind of moral authority. But can we ask the pivotal question? Why isn’t anyone probing the implications of FIFA’s decisions beyond the superficial? Why does Trump’s endorsement of the delay in Balogun’s punishment cloud the bigger issues of governance and corruption within football?

While Trump champions what he sees as justice, the overly sensationalist media glosses over the league’s deeper flaws. Soccer is riddled with scandals, and instead of digging into real accountability, they fixate on shallow narratives. Are we seriously going to allow platforms like Fox News and CNN to distract us with hollow sound bites? The danger lies in uncritical acceptance of such pop-culture politics. We’ve seen it time and again—they’ll use anything to keep their audience engaged while skirting the real issues at play.