At a glittering ceremony in Washington, D.C., FIFA on Friday bestowed its inaugural Peace Prize on U.S. President Donald Trump, marking an unprecedented moment as world football’s governing body ventured into overt recognition of political leadership.
The presentation took place at the Kennedy Center during the official draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States will co-host with Canada and Mexico.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino personally handed the crystal-shaped award to the 79-year-old American leader, praising what he described as Trump’s “exceptional efforts to foster peace and unity” across troubled regions of the world.
Trump, visibly buoyed by the moment, told the audience that the honour ranked among the most meaningful of his career.
He claimed that recent diplomatic initiatives led by his administration had prevented large-scale bloodshed globally.
“Millions of lives have been saved,” he declared, crediting Infantino for supporting what he called a shared mission for global stability.
FIFA introduced the Peace Prize only last month, announcing that it would be awarded annually to individuals believed to inspire hope for younger generations.
Yet the organisation offered few details about the structure of the award such as the criteria for evaluation, the members of the selection panel, or the list of nominees.
Human Rights Watch said it has written to FIFA requesting transparency on how the eventual winner emerged but has not received a response.
Critics argued that the timing and choice of recipient reveal the governing body’s increasingly warm ties with Washington under Trump.
Infantino, who has cultivated an unusually close relationship with the U.S. president since Trump’s return to office in January, is reported to have visited the White House more frequently than any other global leader this year.
The Peace Prize comes at a moment when Trump has openly expressed frustration at being overlooked by the Nobel Committee.
The Norwegian panel recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado, bypassing Trump despite his repeated claims that he helped broker the cessation of several conflicts, including a delicate truce in Gaza.
Trump has also named himself head of a new “board of peace” overseeing reconstruction and political talks in Gaza.
Infantino was present at the signing of that accord in Egypt, further signalling the growing overlap between FIFA’s leadership and U.S. diplomatic efforts.
The president’s administration has even renamed a Washington-based peace institution in his honour this week, cementing his attempt to build a legacy as a global peacemaker.
While Trump celebrates the FIFA recognition, he is simultaneously confronting criticism from Democrats, humanitarian organisations, and foreign policy analysts.
Opponents argued that his foreign policy posture has often been aggressive, pointing to a major U.S. military buildup near Venezuela and recent lethal strikes on vessels Washington described as drug-trafficking networks.
Domestically, the administration has enacted a sweeping migration crackdown, freezing asylum requests from nearly 20 nations—including World Cup participants Iran and Haiti.
Trump has also threatened to shift or cancel World Cup matches in cities that resist federal deployment of troops.
His political opponents also accuse him of intensifying pressure on critics and reinforcing his false narrative that he won the 2020 presidential election.
Choosing the Kennedy Center as the backdrop for the World Cup draw added another layer of symbolism.
Trump installed himself earlier this year as chairman of the cultural institution, framing the move as part of his campaign against what he calls “woke culture.”
Despite FIFA’s long-standing insistence on political neutrality, Friday’s ceremony signaled a remarkable step into the global political arena—one that is likely to fuel debate for months ahead.
