Copyright Salt Lake City Deseret News
There may be a peace prize for President Donald Trump this year after all. Now, the international sports federation over soccer known as FIFA, has created its own award ahead of the 2026 World Cup matches in the United States, Canada and Mexico “to recognize exceptional actions for peace and unity.” While the recipient of what’s being called the “FIFA Peace Prize — Football Unites the World” award set to be named at the Dec. 5 final World Cup draw being held in Washington, D.C., has yet to be announced, there seems to be little doubt it will go to the U.S. president. “Multiple sources have told Inside World Football that the prize will go to Trump,” the English news site devoted to the sport called football outside the U.S. reported on Monday, noting FIFA President Gianni Infantino has previously said Trump “definitely deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.” Trump has made no secret of his desire to win the coveted Nobel Peace Prize, especially after his efforts to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Last month, this year’s Nobel Peace Prize was given to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado by the Norwegian Nobel committee. In announcing the FIFA version of a peace prize, Infantino said on social media, “it’s fundamental to recognize the outstanding contribution of those who work hard to end conflicts and bring people together in a spirit of peace.” The Associated Press reported FIFA has not disclosed specifics about how the winner of the new annual award will be selected, other than it will go to “individuals who, through their unwavering commitment and their special actions, have helped to unite people all over the world.” FIFA leader says Trump should be supported by all Infantino spoke about his relationship with the American president as well as the upcoming World Cup at last week’s American Business Forum in Miami, The Sports Examiner, a California-based Olympics news site, reported Sunday. “I’m really lucky. I have a great relationship with President Trump, who I consider really a close friend. But of course he’s been and is very, very helpful in everything we do for the World Cup,” the FIFA boss said, according to the report. Trump, he said, is “really engaged. He has such an incredible energy and this is something that I really admire. He does things. He does what he says. He says what he thinks. He says actually what many people think as well but maybe don’t dare to say and that’s why he’s so successful.” Infantino described himself “a bit surprised sometimes” at the negative comments made about the U.S. president, since “he’s just implementing what he said he would do. So I think we should all support what he’s doing because I think he’s doing pretty good, and for FIFA even more” That sparked criticism from the former head of the FIFA Governance Committee, Miguel Maduro. Maduro told The Athletic that Infantino’s call for everyone to support Trump “appears a clear violation of the duty of political neutrality imposed on any FIFA official” by its ethics code. Infantino was asked at the business forum about who would get the new FIFA award, but declined to say whether it was Trump, who also attended the event. “Well, on the 5th of December, you will see,” the FIFA boss said, according to Inside World Football. Did FIFA agree with Trump about moving U.S. World Cup matches? In October, FIFA appeared to shift its position on the power of the U.S. president to move World Cup matches after Trump complained about the Democratic mayor of Boston, one of nearly a dozen host cities, and said he’d take action if he felt conditions were unsafe. Even though a FIFA vice president had responded to a similar threat earlier this year by saying that decision was not up to government officials, a spokesperson for the soccer federation recently issued a seemingly contradictory statement. “Security is the top priority at all FIFA events worldwide, but it is obviously the responsibility of governments, who decide what is in the best interest of public safety,” the FIFA spokesperson told an Italian news agency, according to a translation. Trump has also suggested he could move the 2028 Summer Games from Los Angeles, where his administration has sent National Guard troops and clashed with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democratic officials.
