Coiled-up talkSPORT presenter Simon Jordan destroyed Eni Aluko to her face during an explosive live radio segment on Tuesday morning. In an interview with BBC’s Woman’s Hour last April, Aluko accused Ian Wright of “blocking” opportunities for female broadcasters on television and said the former Arsenal and England striker is “dominating” the women’s game.
To the shock of many, she reignited that feud this week by doubling down on her criticism, despite having previously apologised for her comments. She slammed the ITV and BBC’s choice of pundits for England’s Euro 2025 final last summer, while also promoting herself as a deserving candidate, citing her achievements (such as her 102 England caps) as evidence that she should have been chosen over others, like Wrighty and Nedum Onuoha.
Aluko’s comments were slammed by former colleague Laura Woods, who tweeted that “caps don’t win automatic work” and said that her thinking will “drag women’s sport backwards” and “drag women’s punditry in all forms of the game backwards”.
Simon Jordan Launches Explosive Criticism of Eni Aluko
Premier League – Aston Villa v Manchester City – Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain – December 6, 2023. Amazon Television pundit and former player Eni Aluko before the match. Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers.
“The sheer weight of self-entitlement you seem to have would sink the titanic.” Those were the brutal words used by the former Crystal Palace owner when given an opportunity to give his opinion on the Aluko-Wrighty drama. “I think we live in a society where people don’t have the experience and substance, don’t know what they’re talking about [and are] masquerading as experts,” Jordan continued.
“With all due respect to women in men’s football, I think they have zero expertise in men’s football. I think they can talk about tactics, but the two games are vastly different – the speed, the scale, the pressure, the physicality. They are vastly different games. I’ve encountered Eni in short form and long form, we had a conversation about the commerciality of football which I thought Eni talked with no commercial sense.”
“That is my opinion, she probably disagrees. I’ve seen her talking on podcasts where she’s ideologically aligned with a perspective that overrepresentation is on merit and underrepresentation is based on structural racism. I find that a difficult circle to square.
“As far as expertise is concerned, the times that I’ve listened to her – I don’t think that she’s particularly enlightening, illuminating, engaging or charismatic. I don’t think she comes across particularly likeable but that’s my view, but some people have the same view of me.”
It’s important to highlight that Jordan did agree with Eni Aluko’s idea to have the main pundit roles go to women for women’s football coverage and vice versa. But she looked visibly taken back by the rest of the assessment, replying: “It’s an opinion, which we’re all entitled to. I put value on them, everybody has them.
“I’m not going to listen to a mob on X who have never put themselves in a situation to do anywhere close to what I’ve done. I listen to the professionals, the people who have hired me for the last 11 years, the biggest broadcasters in the world. By default, if I’m working with the people who are considered brilliant broadcasters, if I’m next to them, then by default I’m considered also a brilliant broadcaster.
“I appreciate what you’re saying, but in reality, I’ve been good enough for 11 years and as I said, I’m the person to go and seek out feedback, for someone to go: ‘I think you’re struggling’…it’s never happened.
In an attempt to further clarify her comments, she answered questions from Jim White about what changes she believes ought to be made. Speaking on talkSPORT, Aluko said: “I think it’s more about clarifying and saying look, I think 270 caps represent experience and the insight you can bring to the game.
“What I wasn’t saying is that 270 caps justifies an instant pick, of course, you need a skillset to be a pundit. The point I was trying to make is, that in women’s football, my opinion is that where there’s a choice, I want to see that level of experience on the main panel for women’s football.
“That’s not at the exclusion of Nedum Onuoha or Ian Wright, I’m saying. Can we have a situation where women are the main faces of women’s sport and then the men play more of a supporting role? That might be…Ian Wright could do 10-minute hits before the game, a bit of colour, bit of context, then back to the main studio and bang, you’ve got the faces of the game, whoever the three female pundits are.”
Her Response to Laura Woods
Aluko also had another opportunity to address Laura Woods’ comments, who hit back at her comments about female pundits in women’s football, and acts as the perfect contradiction to her former ITV partner’s points about women in football being restricted. “I respect Laura’s opinion and always have done,” she said.
“I think it’s helpful for her to outline a lot of the attributes that go into a brilliant pundit. Caps are part of that, as I explained, it’s not the decider, but it’s an objective way to say this person has enough experience to talk about this specific game. Now, it’s interesting because Laura is one of the people I would consistently go to, we got on like a house on fire, I’d go to her and say: ‘How do you think it went? What do you think?’.
“Laura consistently – and I had to look at the messages again and go hold on, I feel a bit gaslit here – said to be, I think you’re a brilliant broadcaster, I think you’re a brilliant pundit. So, I think there’s a little bit of serving an argument at this point, which I respect, she doesn’t agree and that’s fine, but I think there’s an insinuation in there, that you don’t have the standard.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Quarter Final – England v France – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar – December 10, 2022 ITV sports presenter Laura Woods with former England players Jill Scott and Eniola Aluko by the pitch before the match REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
“Again, I’ve worked too hard for people to conclude that because you’re not seeing me on screen you’re not good enough, that’s not true. She mentioned about the camaraderie in the group, we had loads of that, that’s the funnest part for me. I’m not the person that’s difficult to work with behind the scenes, me and Laura got on, everyone gets on.”
Jim White then raised the ‘gaslit’ comment again, with Aluko saying: “Well, not gaslit, I don’t want to say that. She has a view and I appreciate her view… she mentioned about little boys being important as well, I agree, but when I see little boys coming to the games now, they’ve got women on their shirts, they don’t have men pundit names on their shirts.
“I think that there’s an insinuation there that if you’re sat in the stands then you don’t meet the things that make a brilliant broadcaster.
“But as I said, privately, she’s told me and reassured me that I’m a brilliant broadcaster, which I thought I’d forever appreciate from Laura.”
The 2026 World Cup brought the United States into the limelight on the global sporting stage, but football (or soccer) is far from the main event when it comes to viewership.
As a nation, the revenue they generate across all sports makes up around 40 per cent of the global total, and the demand is certainly there.
Having a monopoly on American Football, baseball and basketball makes them among the favourites, but the rise in attention for football is the biggest upwards trend in recent years.
With that in mind, we’ve ranked the most popular sports in America from the latest data available, ranked in terms of popularity from a study by The Economist.
8
Golf (2%)
Ranking at the bottom of a study by The Economist (2%) asking fans for their favourite sport, it reflects the general interest in the sport across the world. Whilst the PGA Tour is regularly screened and spoken about, peaking around The Ryder Cup and other majors, the numbers show it has struggled to gain ground.
A report from Gallup shows it has been in a battle with tennis over the years at the lower end, and L.E.K. Consulting suggests one reason may be that it is not attracting younger viewers, with 30+ being the target audience.
7
Boxing/MMA (3%)
Dana White‘s UFC has been at the forefront of combat sports for two decades, reaching peak popularity in the mid 2010s. A lack of superstar profiles has seen it dip in recent years, but there remains huge interest both in the US and globally, and the recent White House card brought significant traction.
For Boxing, the decline has been steady. Years gone by saw global sensations such as Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr draw incredible interest.
Nowadays, there are no American heavyweight contenders, and whilst there are incredible fighters such as Shakur Stevenson, Jaron Ennis and, until recently, Terence Crawford, none can match that star power.
Some of the greatest fighters in combat sports history have graced the UFC Octagon…
6
Tennis (3%)
REUTERS
Whilst the US Open is a significant competition, Tennis in America has struggled to capture significant attention. Ben Shelton may be the fan favourite, but gone are the likes of the Williams sisters, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and even Andy Roddick. It sits slightly above Boxing, MMA and Golf but is unlikely to break Ice Hockey or Football anytime soon.
5
Ice Hockey (4%)
The National Hockey League sits outside the elite sports in America and has seemingly maintained a consistent fanbase, according to Gallup. Its share from 2004 to 2023 held firm at around four percent across that period.
However, there are contrasting figures from different studies. The headline is that casual interest is up, but avid fans are down. The Seton Hall Sports Poll showed the largest growth in popularity from 2022 to 2026, up six points, but L.E.K. reported fewer avid fans in general, falling eight percent.
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4
Baseball (9%)
Traditionally a fan favorite, it has seemingly been overtaken, slightly, by football’s rise. Major League Baseball has historically contended for the second most adored sport with basketball, with Gallup showing that in eight readings between 2004 and 2023, it had the edge at four and tied with another.
L.E.K. revealed that MLB is more popular with fans over 30 than the younger 18–29 demographic. Given the slower nature of the game, it favors older fans, who also like Golf and College Football, with younger audiences less likely to view full games.
Figures from The Economist show football captured 10% of fans’ favourite sport in the study, edging out baseball into third place. Increased TV coverage, the arrival of star names and more infrastructure have all contributed. The rise has skyrocketed thanks to Lionel Messi‘s arrival in the MLS, with Inter Miami a home for former European stars.
With the World Cup enhancing that further, and Mauricio Pochettino‘s current impact, expect it to grow.
Now that Lionel Messi has joined Inter Miami, GIVEMESPORT ranks the 20 greatest players in MLS history
2
Basketball (17%)
Dustin Safranek via Imagn Images
The National Basketball Association has always been amongst the most popular due to the global superstars that consistently bring eyes to the sport. It scores incredibly well with younger fans, and the Knicks‘ recent title — their first in 53 years — brought about interest globally that became a cultural phenomenon.
One area growing the quickest is the WNBA, with L.E.K. showing a 65% year-over-year increase in avid fandom. It remains the fastest growing sport according to their figures.
Any data found on US sports points to one conclusion: American Football is untouchable. The National Football League sits alone at the top of the entire sports landscape. The Super Bowl annually ranks as the biggest sporting event on the US calendar, and draws high viewing figures for the entirety of the games, according to L.E.K.
Only one area has stood out: its avid fan level is lower in the 18-29 range, with younger fans opting for NBA and UFC — but, overall, it reigns supreme.
Fans Favourite Sports in the United States (The Economist 2024 Study)
UFC 329 is right around the corner, and it is set to be a classic. Paddy Pimblett‘s face-off with Benoit Saint-Denis catches the eye, but the event that will steal the headlines is undoubtedly Conor McGregor‘s return to the Octagon as he comes up against Max Holloway at the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada on the 11th of July.
McGregor will be ending a five-year hiatus, having not fought since he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. The Irishman and Holloway have history as well, having fought back in 2013 when the former won via decision. That meeting, however, was at featherweight, whereas, Saturday’s fight will be at welterweight.
It is a fight between the man with the second-most featherweight UFC title wins in Holloway (five) versus the man with the joint-third-most in McGregor (two). With the Irishman being 37 and out of the sport for the past five years, though, Holloway is heavily tipped to win the bout.
However, there are some within the game who give McGregor a good chance.
Jose Aldo Previews Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway
Jose Aldo celebrates UFC win
Jose Aldo has weighed in on the upcoming fight, and given he was knocked out in 13 seconds by ‘The Notorious’ back in 2015, there are few who know what McGregor is capable of quite like Aldo.
That experience might be why, unlike many, the Brazilian believes the Irishman has a decent chance at victory, despite the fact he has been out on the sidelines for five years while his opponent has faced, and beaten, some of the world’s best. Having said that, though, Aldo is still predicting Holloway to come away with the victory this weekend.
Speaking to Covers.com, Aldo said: “For me, it’s a very competitive fight. McGregor may be the betting underdog, but honestly, I think he has a better chance of beating Max today than he had of beating Khabib back then.
“The favourite is Max Holloway, not because he’s vastly superior, but because he’s still active. He’s fighting regularly, coming off strong performances, and staying in competition mode. Conor is an unknown quantity. We haven’t seen him fight in a very long time. We don’t know where his conditioning, timing, or confidence are at. That’s why I put Max one step ahead.”
However, ‘Scarface’ was quick to make clear that McGregor cannot be ruled out.
“That doesn’t mean Conor can’t go in there and knock [Max] out,” Aldo continued. “That can absolutely happen. And it wouldn’t be any disgrace for Max because Conor is still a world-class striker with experience, power, and the technical tools to win any fight.
“So I have Max slightly ahead, but I’m a long way from saying Conor has no chance. The biggest question right now is simply which version of McGregor is going to show up on fight night.”
Holloway and Aldo have a storied past too, with the American coming out victorious in their back-to-back fights in 2017, which effectively toppled the Brazilian’s era at the peak of the featherweight division.
On Holloway, Aldo said: “He’s an extremely intelligent fighter, with very refined boxing, great fight IQ, and an excellent ability to absorb shots. Today, he’s not exactly the same fighter he was years ago because he’s been through a lot of wars during his career. But he’s still an exceptional fighter.”
ESPN have taken a look into the most dominant countries in MMA today, including the UFC and PFL, and have put together a top 10 list.
Holloway’s and McGregor’s careers have diverged over the past five years. The former has remained a dedicated fighter who has taken down some of the best. The latter, conversely, has dealt with a major injury and spent a lot of time partying. But, as Aldo was keen to point out, McGregor and his legacy cannot be ruled out.
Legends aren’t invented, they’re forged, and Conor McGregor has forged out one of the most legendary careers in the sport. All eyes will be on him this Saturday.
The Roberto De Zerbi overhaul is well under way at Tottenham, with six new signings already arriving at the club.
Martin Dubravka, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali have all been welcomed into the fold in the white half of north London and the Lilywhites are showing no signs of letting up in their big-money business just yet.
But with lots of incoming traffic there is an expectation that a number of current players will have to depart too and only Yves Bissouma – at the end of his contract – and Alejo Veliz have left as yet.
But that is about to change with a young player now set to leave the club too.
Alfie Devine signed for Spurs as a 15-year-old back in 2020 but has only made two first-team appearances, scoring once in the win over non-league side Marine in the FA Cup in 2021.
Now he looks set to depart the club, six years on from signing, as he makes the move to Preston North End on a permanent deal.
