Reports: Multiple outlets say Trump phoned FIFA before Balogun’s suspension was put on probationary hold

What was claimed: Several news outlets reported on July 5, 2026 that President Donald Trump phoned FIFA president Gianni Infantino earlier in the week to ask that the one‑game suspension imposed on U.S. striker Folarin Balogun be reviewed. Breitbart published a short item amplifying that account, attributing the underlying reporting to major outlets. What the best evidence shows: Major wire services and newspapers (AP and Reuters among them) say the information came from people familiar with the call. FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee announced on July 5 that, invoking Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, it had suspended enforcement of Balogun’s automatic one‑game ban for a probationary period of one year, which made him eligible for the U.S. Round‑of‑16 match. U.S. Soccer posted an official statement accepting the disciplinary committee’s decision. How the facts line up: The sequence reported by multiple outlets is (1) Balogun received a straight red card on July 1 in the U.S.–Bosnia match and an automatic one‑game suspension followed, (2) on or about July 1 President Trump allegedly phoned FIFA president Gianni Infantino asking for a review (per people familiar with the call), and (3) on July 5 FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee announced it was suspending enforcement of the match ban under Article 27. Limits and sourcing: The direct assertion that “Trump called Infantino” rests in public reporting on anonymous sources; there is no publicly available transcript, recorded phone log, or official White House or FIFA release describing the call’s content. FIFA’s public disciplinary statement does not attribute the committee’s action to any external appeal or to a presidential call. Because the claim rests on anonymous-source reporting rather than on primary official records, it should be treated as credible but not independently proven. What readers should understand: Multiple independent news organizations reported the same basic account, which strengthens its plausibility. At the same time, anonymous sourcing means the claim is not the same as a documentable, official record. Separately, FIFA’s published disciplinary text shows the committee had the authority to suspend enforcement of the ban under Article 27 — an unusual but established mechanism that explains how Balogun was cleared to play even though the red card itself technically remains on record. Bottom line: Breitbart’s article amplifies a consequential, checkable claim that has been reported by major outlets. The reporting is consistent across independent news organizations, but it relies on people speaking off the record; there is no publicly available official confirmation of the call’s content. The claim is therefore supported by independent reporting but remains not fully verifiable from primary official documentation.