Martina Navratilova was already unhappy with FIFA’s handling of the Iran soccer team at the 2026 World Cup. Now, they have made one of the most controversial decisions of the tournament so far, including FIFA suspending Folarin Balogun’s one-game red-card ban. Amid reports that President Donald Trump played a role in it, Navratilova had only one thing to say.

The nine-time Wimbledon champion has been following the World Cup and the USMNT ardently ever since the tournament began. Upon seeing fans’ reactions to President Trump’s reported intervention, the 69-year-old took to social media. She reposted an AI-generated video of Trump’s X post, with the quote “This is embarrassing.”

In the video, Folarin Balogun is shown a red card. But the American forward simply showed the referee his own “Donald Trump ‘dancing to YMCA’” card back. The 25-year-old AI-generated forward even called it “Trump card” and said “How does Trump always win?”

The video is not the first of its kind, either, as similar ones have flooded the internet. All this has come in the aftermath of FIFA’s decision. For the unversed, Balogun was shown a red card after a foul during the USMNT’s Round of 32 game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. While it depends on the circumstances, a direct red card usually carries a one-game ban.

The forward would have missed the USMNT’s Round of 16 clash against Belgium. However, The Guardian reported in an exclusive that President Trump stepped in and called FIFA in an attempt to change things. This was after US Soccer filed an appeal, even though reports indicated that they could not do so.

In fact, FIFA officials even told The Athletic that national teams couldn’t file appeals for red cards or the resulting suspensions. The situation has since changed as FIFA listened to the appeal and suspended Folarin Balogun’s red card for one year. This is not the first time they’ve done that, as they also currently have Cristiano Ronaldo’s three-match ban under suspension.

And like most neutral fans on the internet, Navratilova was unhappy. In another X post, she retweeted a post with Wayne Rooney calling the suspension of the ban an “absolute disgrace” with the quote “Who are we to argue with Wayne??”

She isn’t the only one unhappy.

FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s ban hasn’t gone down well. The backlash quickly spread beyond former players and fans, with European football’s governing body also weighing in on FIFA’s controversial decision. From Norway’s head coach Stale Solbakken calling it a “big mistake” to Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia hitting out at FIFA, things have reached a boiling point.

UEFA has entered the mix as European club football’s governing body has issued a statement expressing unhappiness with FIFA.

“Yesterday’s decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line,” reads the statement.

It added, “Football is the most loved sport in the world because it is a beautiful game and is trusted because it is played everywhere with the same laws.

“A tournament is never a pure standalone and, if the tournament in question is the World Cup, it has the power to drive positive or negative consequences on the game as a whole. We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.”

Navratilova’s frustration is now shared far beyond social media. FIFA’s decision has left the governing body facing criticism from every corner of the sporting world.