Australia national team captain Jackson Irvine (33, St. Pauli) drew attention with an unprecedented show of conviction aimed at the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
In an interview with Reuters on the 28th (Korea time), Irvine criticized FIFA for awarding the "first FIFA Peace Award" to U.S. President Donald Trump (80) at the 2026 FIFA World Cup North America draw last December, saying it "has become a mockery."
FIFA said the award was established to spread the values of peace and respect around the world through football. But Trump began a military attack on Venezuela in January, just one month after receiving the award, and in February he partnered with Israel to carry out airstrikes on Iran.
Ultimately, the FIFA Peace Award could not escape being mocked as an award hastily assembled to curry favor with Trump. Questions about FIFA's standards for peace have arisen, with criticism that FIFA itself is eroding its credibility and reputation.
Having played 80 A internationals, Irvine said, "Looking at FIFA's actions as a single organization, decisions like awarding this peace prize can only be described as making a mockery of the human rights charter they themselves created."
He added, "FIFA has long claimed it wants football to be a force for good worldwide and a driver of positive change, but decisions like this completely nullify those efforts," expressing regret over the peace award given to President Trump.
In fact, the awarding of the peace prize to Trump was widely criticized by human rights groups and activists. The Norwegian Football Federation urged FIFA to abolish the award to prevent FIFA from becoming embroiled in political controversy. With an independent Nobel Committee clearly in existence, FIFA awarding such a prize while compromising political neutrality was described as an act that had forgotten its proper role.
Human rights groups also argue that, particularly in light of the Trump administration's strict immigration enforcement and deportation efforts, FIFA should put more pressure on the United States to address potential human rights abuses against players, fans and workers.
Irvine emphasized, "Decisions like these make us feel like we are regressing. This is especially true at a time when top-level football is becoming detached from society and the foundations that define what football actually means for our communities and the world are being severed. It only worsens public perception of elite football."
He expressed concern, saying, "Human rights issues are not limited to the Middle East. We are now witnessing the gradual stripping away of rights for the LGBT community across the United States."
He then urged, "We should sincerely hope that there will be a lot of public support and solidarity for the protection of human rights at this World Cup."
He said, "There are sharply divided views on players' voices. On one side are people who really like and strongly support players using their influence to speak out on social issues they care about."
He continued, "But on the other side there is equally strong backlash, and polarization has become far more intense than before," warning, "There are definitely people who strongly oppose players' attempts to bring politics into sports."
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