Donald Trump (79), the president of the United States, became the first recipient of the FIFA Peace Prize, newly established by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). At the awards ceremony held ahead of the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup draw, Gianni Infantino personally presented the trophy, medal and certificate.
This award, established for the first time this year, is given to a person "who has shown extraordinary and outstanding actions for peace and united the world." Trump, who had appeared with Infantino at several public events recently, was mentioned as a leading candidate, and the award was officially confirmed at the draw event held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on the 6th (Korea time).
In his acceptance speech, Trump said, "I saved tens of millions of lives through diplomatic intervention. I stopped it just before the war began," calling it "one of the greatest honors of my life." He added, "The 2026 World Cup set a record for the most ticket sales ever. The United States is now the hottest country in the world."
The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and will be held from June 11 to July 19 next year. Immediately after the awards ceremony, Trump took part in the draw opening performance with Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum (Claudia Sheinbaum), and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, and later stood alongside Infantino to take a selfie. The United States was placed in Group D, Mexico in Group A and Canada in Group B.
The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where the draw took place, is only 1.6 kilometers from the White House, and after this year's board restructuring, Trump serves as the board chairman. Throughout the event, there was staging centered on Trump. The 1970s group's "YMCA," repeatedly played at his campaign rallies, sounded during the event, and an unusual arrangement was noticeable in which the award ceremony sequence was mixed with the draw proceedings.
The close relationship between Trump and Infantino drew considerable controversy. Infantino recently publicly said that Trump "deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for mediating a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza," expressing his support. Some critics voiced concerns that "FIFA is undermining its own political neutrality." Reports also emerged within FIFA that the establishment of the Peace Prize did not gain board approval, amplifying the controversy.
The U.K. BBC reported experts saying, "This draw and awards ceremony had a strong political atmosphere. There is a risk that the international soccer governing body could be seen as a promotional tool for a particular political force." On the other hand, a senior FIFA official rebutted, "Football is the language of the world, and efforts for peace should be recognized in any form," asking, "Why should it be smaller than the Nobel Peace Prize?"
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