FIFA gives President Donald Trump Peace Prize in departure from its traditional focus on sport

President Donald Trump was awarded the brand new FIFA peace prize on Friday (December 5, 2025) on the 2026 World Cup draw — giving the spectacle to set matchups for the quadrennial soccer event much more of a Trumpian aptitude.

Mr. Trump, who has overtly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize, had been closely favoured to win the newly created FIFA prize. He and FIFA president Gianni Infantino are shut allies, and Infantino had made clear that he thought Mr. Trump ought to have gained the Nobel for his efforts to dealer a ceasefire in Gaza.

The U.S. president was awarded the prize that Infantino mentioned was a “lovely medal for you that you would be able to put on in all places you wish to go.” Mr. Trump promptly positioned the medal round his neck. The certificates that Infantino handed Mr. Trump recognises the U.S. President for his actions to “promote peace and unity world wide.”

“That is what we would like from a pacesetter — a pacesetter that cares concerning the individuals,” Infantino mentioned about Mr. Trump, who was additionally introduced with a gold trophy along with his identify on it that depicts arms holding up the world. The FIFA chief mentioned to Mr. Trump, “that is your prize, that is your peace prize.”

Mr. Trump thanked his household, together with his spouse, first girl Melania Trump, and praised the leaders of the opposite two host nations — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum — in his transient remarks, saying the coordination with the nations has been “excellent.”

“That is actually one of many nice honours of my life,” Mr. Trump mentioned.

Mr. Infantino has usually spoken about soccer as a unifier for the world, however the prize is a departure from the federation’s conventional deal with sport.

The FIFA president was additionally readily available Thursday (December 4) on the newly renamed Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, the place Mr. Trump and the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda signed a deal geared toward ending the battle in japanese Congo.

FIFA has described the prize as one which rewards “people who’ve taken distinctive and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united individuals the world over.”

The award to Mr. Trump got here throughout every week during which his administration has been engaged in shuttle diplomacy to attempt to finish the conflict in Ukraine, whereas additionally underneath scrutiny for deadly strikes on alleged drug boats within the Caribbean and as Mr. Trump hardens his rhetoric towards immigrants.

The Nobel this yr was ultimately awarded to Venezuelan opposition chief Maria Corina Machado, who mentioned shortly after receiving the prize that she was dedicating it partly to Mr. Trump for “his decisive help of our trigger.”