Overview
- FIFA president Gianni Infantino presented Trump with a gold trophy, medal, and a certificate citing actions to "promote peace and unity around the world" during the Kennedy Center ceremony.
- The new honor, announced in early November as the "FIFA Peace Prize: Football Unites the World," was introduced without public criteria, nominees, or a disclosed selection process, and senior officials said it was not discussed with the FIFA Council.
- Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International criticized the award and sought documentation on nominees, judges, and criteria, with HRW reporting it received no reply.
- Infantino has cultivated a close relationship with Trump and previously said he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize after the Gaza ceasefire, raising questions about FIFA’s political neutrality.
- Trump called the recognition one of his life’s great honors and claimed to have ended several wars and saved millions of lives, statements widely disputed in coverage, as separate reporting noted scrutiny over Caribbean boat strikes and hardening immigration rhetoric.