FIFA's New Peace Prize for Trump Sparks Debate Over Sports Governance and Neutrality

During a ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., FIFA President Gianni Infantino bestowed upon former U.S. President Donald Trump a newly created "FIFA Peace Prize," an action that has inflamed a heated debate about the proper place of politics in global sports governance.

The award-which was presented for the first time during the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup-was established to recognize individuals who have taken "exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace". But its inaugural presentation has been criticized by former officials, human rights organizations, and governance experts as a blatant violation of FIFA's own statutes requiring political neutrality.

A "Close Friendship" and an Award Created in Haste

The presentation is the most recent and overt manifestation of the cozy relationship between Infantino and Trump, forged during Trump's first term after the U.S. was chosen as a co-host for the 2026 World Cup. They have since appeared together at several high-profile, soccer-free events, including an October 2025 Gaza peace summit in Egypt.

According to reports, the idea for the FIFA Peace Prize was rushed after Trump failed to win the Nobel Peace Prize in October. The creation of this award reportedly came as a shock and was not consulted with the majority of the FIFA Council, its main governing body. Human Rights Watch, in a letter to FIFA, requested details on the award's criteria, judges and nomination process but received no response.

Violation of Neutrality and Internal Criticism

The award and Infantino's public lavishing of praise on Trump have led to direct accusations of ethical breaches. Miguel Maduro, the former chairman of FIFA's governance committee, said that Infantino's actions represent a "clear violation" of Article 15 of FIFA's Code of Ethics, which requires that "FIFA remains neutral in matters of politics and religion".

"This is clearly, in my view, a violation of the duty of political neutrality imposed by FIFA's code of ethics," Maduro said, arguing that though FIFA officials can recognize the legitimacy of elected leaders, Infantino went much further in endorsing Trump's political program and suggesting "we should all support what he's doing."

Broader implications for FIFA's credibility

It's not just the single award that raises controversy. Critics contend that Infantino's alignment with a sitting U.S. president, against whom an impeachment inquiry had been initiated, undermines FIFA's independence-most especially since the U.S. is scheduled to host most of the 2026 World Cup games. The organization has faced previous scrutiny for its decision to rent office space in Trump Tower and to allow Trump to inject himself into discussions about potentially moving games out of some host cities.

Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, contrasted the new prize with more established ones like the Nobel: "This so-called 'FIFA Peace Prize' seems to have no nominees, no criteria, no judges and no process. So it will also have no legitimacy." The incident has thrown a shadow over the run-up to the 2026 World Cup, with a suggestion that the most popular sport in the world is still facing the challenge of decoupling itself from the political interests of powerful nations and their leaders.