Trump Just Got a Peace Prize From FIFA and Everyone’s Confused

A New Award Weeks After Nobel Snub

On December 5, 2025, FIFA President Gianni Infantino handed Donald Trump a gold trophy, a medal, and a certificate at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

The award was called the “FIFA Peace Prize,” and Trump was its first recipient. He placed the medal around his neck immediately and called it “truly one of the great honors of my life.”

The ceremony happened just before FIFA revealed the groups for the 2026 World Cup, and it guaranteed that Trump, not soccer, would dominate the headlines.

Nobel Committee Said No in October

The timing of FIFA’s new prize raised eyebrows.

In October 2025, the Nobel Committee awarded its Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.

Trump had campaigned hard for the Nobel, and Infantino had publicly supported his bid on Instagram, writing that Trump “definitely deserves” the award for his role in the Gaza ceasefire.

When the Nobel went elsewhere, FIFA announced its own peace prize just weeks later. The first recipient was never really in doubt.

FIFA Officials Learned From the News

Infantino’s decision to create the award caught his own organization off guard.

Senior FIFA officials, including board members and vice presidents, found out about the prize through press reports rather than internal communication.

Human Rights Watch reached out to FIFA asking how the winner was chosen and received no answer. There were no announced nominees, no public criteria, and no judging process that anyone could point to.

Azerbaijani Artists Made the Trophy

The award itself is a gold-plated globe held up by human hands. FIFA commissioned the sculptors to also create a medal and commemorative badge.

It is a miniature version of “Thoughts and Dreams,” a four-meter sculpture by Azerbaijani artists Salhab Mammadov and Ali Ibadullayev that stands outside the United Nations headquarters in Geneva.

Mammadov later said he never imagined his UN sculpture would end up as a FIFA prize handed to a sitting U.S. president.

Critics Called It a Political Gift

Human rights groups were not impressed. FairSquare, an advocacy organization focused on ethics in sports, called the prize “just the latest example of serious misgovernance at FIFA.”

The group’s director said Infantino’s decision to tie FIFA to Trump’s political brand might help FIFA financially but damages the sport’s integrity.

Others pointed out that the award came less than 24 hours after the Trump administration carried out a deadly airstrike in the Caribbean.

Infantino and Trump Grew Very Close

The FIFA president and the U.S. president have spent more public time together than Trump has with almost any world leader since taking office in January 2025.

Infantino attended Trump’s inauguration, visited him at Mar-a-Lago, and accompanied him to a peace summit in Egypt. He opened a FIFA office in Trump Tower in Manhattan.

Trump, in turn, has called Infantino “my boy” and set up a White House task force, led by Andrew Giuliani, to oversee World Cup preparations.

Trump Moved the Draw to His Venue

The World Cup draw was originally expected to take place in Las Vegas.

Instead, it happened at the Kennedy Center, where Trump installed himself as chairman of the board in February 2025 after replacing its trustees with loyalists.

The venue, traditionally home to opera, ballet, and classical performances, had never hosted anything quite like middle-aged men pulling balls from glass bowls while the Village People waited in the wings.

Hollywood and Sports Legends Showed Up

The draw ceremony was packed with famous faces. Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum co-hosted.

Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O’Neal, and Aaron Judge served as draw assistants. Danny Ramirez, the actor from “Top Gun: Maverick,” worked the crowd.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stood on stage with Trump to draw their countries’ groups, posing for a selfie with Infantino afterward.

Bocelli Opened and Village People Closed

Andrea Bocelli started the ceremony with “Nessun Dorma,” the aria that became a soccer anthem at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger performed a duet of FIFA’s official hymn.

When the draw ended, the Village People took the stage and played “Y. M.C.A.,” the 1978 disco hit that has become Trump’s signature rally song.

Trump did his familiar dance as the crowd clapped along.

USA Draws Paraguay and Australia

The United States landed in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia, and the winner of a European playoff involving Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, and Kosovo.

The Americans will open play on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles against Paraguay, then face Australia in Seattle on June 19.

It is considered a favorable draw.

The U.S. beat both Paraguay and Australia in friendlies earlier in 2025, and none of their confirmed opponents rank in the world’s top 20.

Mexico Opens the Whole Tournament

The first match of the 2026 World Cup will be Mexico versus South Africa on June 11 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

Canada will begin its campaign the next day against a European playoff winner in Toronto. The tournament runs through July 19, with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

It will be the first 48-team World Cup, the first hosted by three countries, and, if Infantino has his way, the biggest sporting event ever held.

A Prize That Says More About FIFA

The FIFA Peace Prize will be awarded every year from now on, according to Infantino. Whether anyone else will want it is another question.

The first one went to a president who danced on stage while his administration conducted airstrikes abroad.

The trophy was designed by artists whose work sits at the United Nations.

And the man who handed it over has made it clear that staying close to power is more important than staying neutral. FIFA has always played politics.

Now it hands out prizes for it.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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