FIFA Gives Trump Its New "Peace Prize" at World Cup Draw Ceremony

On December 5, 2025, FIFA president Gianni Infantino presented President Trump with the inaugural "FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World" during the Final Draw for the 2026 World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington. FIFA said the honor recognized "exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace," without detailing a clear standard for how the recipient was chosen.

The award drew immediate criticism from sports-governance and human-rights observers. The advocacy group FairSquare filed an ethics complaint with FIFA, arguing that giving a peace award to a sitting head of state during his own term breaches FIFA's stated duty of political neutrality, and that the process for selecting Trump was opaque.

The episode fits a broader pattern of international organizations and corporations extending symbolic honors or favorable treatment to Trump during his second term. FIFA, still working to repair its reputation after past corruption scandals, faces continuing scrutiny over the decision as it prepares to host the 2026 World Cup in the United States.