Trump called FIFA's Infantino over Balogun suspension (axios.com)

President Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino about U.S. striker Folarin Balogun's controversial red card and resulting suspension before soccer's governing body lifted the ban, a U.S. official tells Axios. Why it matters: The reversal — and the White House's role in it — has become the biggest twist of this year's World Cup. That means Balogun is eligible for the knockout stage after his red card had threatened to sideline him. The big picture: The president's involvement illustrates how closely Trump is following the U.S. men's national team's World Cup campaign and highlights potential political influence on international sports governance. Driving the news: Trump called Infantino to understand why a red card was given to Balogun and why the one-game suspension was imposed, according to a source familiar with the call. Infantino explained the rules, noted the U.S. had already filed a challenge, and said an independent FIFA body was reviewing the matter. "There's nothing I can do," Infantino said, per the source. "He wanted to understand what the red card meant and what the process is," a source familiar with the call said, adding that Trump "just knew the guy was 'suspended'" and isn't "a soccer guy." Catch up quick: Balogun drew a red card in Team USA's 2–0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. The reversal appears to be the first time since 1962 that a red card during a World Cup didn't result in a suspension. FIFA cited Article 27 of its rules, which lets its disciplinary committee "fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure" and place a player on probation instead. Zoom in: The U.S. government provided additional evidence that was used in the appeal process, which the official noted is run by an independent board. Trump in a Truth Social post earlier Sunday thanked FIFA for "doing what was right," saying the decision reversed "a great injustice!" Journalist Ben Jacobs first reported news of Trump's intervention. Behind the scenes: The effort to challenge the red card started before Trump's call. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who led the U.S. delegation to the Bosnia game, read through FIFA's rules on the flight home and began mapping out how the U.S. might contest the call. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force on the World Cup, then took up the effort, pulling in Trump-aligned lawyers and supporters to pressure FIFA. A Trump adviser downplayed the idea that the president shaped the outcome, noting he hadn't asked Infantino for specific action: "If Trump had put his thumb on the scale and achieved this result, he would have a field day bragging about it." What's next: The U.S. men's national team faces Belgium tonight at 8pm ET in Seattle in the Round of 16 . Oddsmakers call it a coin flip as the U.S. tries to make the quarterfinals for the first time in 24 years. Go deeper: Belgium "astonished" by FIFA's Balogun red card reversal Editor's note: This headline and story have been