WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 06: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks alongside President of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Gianni Infantino during a meeting with the White House Task Force for the 2026 World Cup in the East Room of the White House on May 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump gathered the task force for the first time to hear from his Cabinet members in the ways their departments are preparing for the summer games. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Donald Trump just might get his peace prize after all
Well, it isn’t the peace prize but a peace prize.
On Wednesday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that soccer’s world governing body would award Peace prize – the FIFA Peace Prize.
Infantino added said the award would be announced at the 2026 World Cup draw which will be held at the Kennedy Center I. Washington DC on Friday, Dec. 5.
According to the FIFA website, the award will be presented “to individuals who, through their unwavering commitment and their special actions, have helped to unite people all over the world in peace and consequently deserve a special and unique recognition. This prize will be given out annually.”
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – DECEMBER 11: FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the Extraordinary FIFA Congress 2024 at the Home of FIFA on December 11, 2024 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Harold Cunningham – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
FIFA via Getty Images
What is the FIFA Peace Prize?
In an increasingly unsettled and divided world, 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,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement. “Football stands for peace, and on behalf of the entire global football community, the FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World will recognize the enormous efforts of those individuals who unite people, bringing hope for future generations.”
It just so happens that President Trump not only will attend the ceremony that will sort out the 12 groups for the 48-team tournament but will partake in it. At the moment, we don’t know his exact role.
And a let’s not forget that President Trump was voted in as chairman of the Kennedy Center in February.
Hmmm.
Which got more one than one person thinking who the recipient might be.
You get an A if you thought of the president of the United States first.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (L), Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (R) and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a trilateral signing ceremony in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 8, 2025. US President Donald Trump is hosting the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on Friday, with the two South Caucasus rivals expected to sign a deal advancing peace efforts after decades of conflict. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s longtime President Ilham Aliyev will attend a “Historic Peace Summit” at the White House, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform. He did not elaborate on the deal’s details, but it would join a growing list of US-brokered initiatives for which the president believes he should win a Nobel Peace Prize. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Trump’s object of desire
It has been no secret that President Trump has been campaigning to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for quite some time.
And, he has several backers in his administration. Mike Waltz, his national security adviser, and Rep. Elise Stefanik, the New York Republican nominated to be ambassador to the United Nations and on Friday said she was running for New York governor in the 2026 election, have said that Trump was a president “of peace” who deserves the award.
“He is going to end the war in Europe,” Waltz said at the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this year, according to NBC News. “He is going to end the wars in the Middle East.
“And you know what? By the end of this, we’re going to have the Nobel Peace Prize sitting next to the name of Donald J. Trump.”
Earlier this year, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with FOX that Trump’s plan to end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia merited the honor. “I think in a year he should get it from what I’ve seen,” according to NBC News.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – JULY 13: U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA applauds following the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
Getty Images
From one president to another
nfantino has been bending over backwards to stay on Trump’s good side as we move closer to the June 11 kickoff of the World Cup.
He has become quite close to the U.S. President, visiting the White House multiple times over the past 12 months. He also set up a FIFA office in Trump Towers in New York City.
On Wednesday, Infantino surprised many observers because of his comments at the American Business Forum in Miami, several hours after Trump made an appearance there. His comments were political.
“We have a great relationship,” Infantino said, according to the Telegraph. “I’m really lucky. I have a great relationship with President Trump, where I consider him a really close friend. Of course, he’s being very helpful in everything we are doing for the World Cup.
“He does things. He does what he says. He says what he thinks. He actually says what many people think as well but maybe don’t dare to say and that’s why he’s so successful. I have to say it and I’m a bit surprised sometimes when we read some negative comments.
“I am not American, but as far as I understand, President Trump was elected in the United States of America and was quite clearly elected. When you are in such a great democracy as the United States of America, you should first of all respect the results of the election, right?
“In the end he was elected based on the program, based on what he said.
“He is just implementing what he said he would do. So I think we should all support what he’s doing because I think it’s looking pretty good.”
British television presenter Zuhair Hassan known as Big Zuu lifts the trophy as World XI players celebrate their victory in the England XI v World XI charity football match for Soccer Aid for Unicef at Old Trafford in Manchester, north-west England on June 15, 2025. World XI won the game 5-4. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP) (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Many deserving candidates
There are plenty of deserving candidates inside the soccer universe that have done years of humanitarian work inside and outside of the sport.
That includes:
* Soccer Aid, which is an English annual charity event that has raised more $132 million in aid of UNICEF UK.
* UNICEFUSA, which has done work with children refugees in Sudan, among other ventures.
* The UN Refugee Agency on how soccer helps protect, uplift and unite refugees
They are the proverbial tip of the iceberg.
Apologies to the many deserved organizations and individuals that were not listed in this story.
Let’s face it. The FIFA Peace Prize has no history and no other award is anywhere comparable to the Nobel Peace Prize. But it could be another step in Infantino’s strategy to curry favor with the U.S. president with so much at stake with his and FIFA’s baby come next summer.
So, what will Infantino do?
Your guess is as good as mine.
But given the circumstantial evidence it would not be surprising if Trump walks out of the Kennedy Center with some sort of a trophy or plaque on Dec 5.
When asked about the Trump connection on Wednesday, Infantino replied according to NPR, “On the 5th of December, you will see.”
Guess we’ll have to wait until the World Cup draw kicks off at noon ET on Friday, Dec. 5.