FIFA creates new Peace Prize and gives it to Trump
Photo via Associated Press Instagram
Michael Oliss | News Editor
Soccer’s global governing body, FIFA, awarded U.S. President Donald Trump the inaugural “FIFA Peace Prize” during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., a move that merges sporting spectacle with geopolitical symbolism.
The FIFA Peace Prize — formally titled “FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World” — was announced Nov. 5, 2025. The award is intended to honor individuals who “take exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace” that unite people worldwide. The first award was scheduled for the World Cup draw on Dec. 5.
During the draw at the Kennedy Center, FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented Trump with a medal, a gold trophy, and a certificate recognizing his “actions to promote peace and unity.” Trump accepted the prize, placing the medal around his neck. The governing body has not disclosed details of the selection process.
Arriving for the ceremony and accepting the honor, Trump framed the moment as secondary to his stated priorities: “I don’t need prizes. I just want to save lives,” he told reporters.
The award landed against a string of contemporaneous crises.
The U.S. military’s strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean — operations the administration frames as counter-narcotics efforts — have drawn heavy scrutiny after video and reporting indicated follow-on strikes may have killed survivors, prompting questions about legality, morality, and proportionality. Lawmakers, international legal experts, and human rights groups are pressing for fuller transparency and for investigations into whether some strikes violated the laws of armed conflict.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza — already measured in tens of thousands of dead and massive displacement since October 2023 — remains active even after brief pauses in hostilities. In October, Trump helped broker a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, which he said would usher in a “Golden Age” for the Middle East. Over a thousand Palestinians have been wounded or killed since.
At home, rights organizations and watchdogs have released reports documenting abusive conditions, medical neglect, and other alleged human-rights violations in immigration detention centers. According to BBC News, advocates say enforcement practices have heightened humanitarian harms for detainees.
Trump has long courted recognition as an international dealmaker; his public desire for accolades such as the Nobel Peace Prize has been well-documented since 2009. This year, the Nobel Committee awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado, a decision that some Trump allies characterized as a “snub.” Others described it as consistent with the Nobel Committee’s historical focus on democracy and human-rights activism.
When asked if he thought he was deserving of the award, Trump told reporters, “If I were named Obama, I would have had the Nobel prize given to me in 10 seconds.” He cited his work in the Middle East as the main reason he deserved recognition.
The FIFA Peace Prize and the denial of a Nobel mean Trump’s most visible peace recognition was in a FIFA-branded event staged between the announcements of soccer schedules.
Whether the new FIFA Peace Prize reflects real-world impact or simple pageantry, it places Trump at the center of a global spectacle that mixes sport, politics, and diplomacy — a reminder that recognition can shape perception even when tangible peace remains out of reach.