Overview
- The governing body presented its inaugural Peace Prize to the U.S. president onstage at Washington’s Kennedy Center during the World Cup draw after a FIFA video credited him with helping end conflicts including India–Pakistan and Armenia–Azerbaijan.
- Trump called the medal one of the great honors of his life and claimed his actions saved millions of lives.
- Human Rights Watch said it requested the list of nominees, judges, criteria and process for the new award and reported receiving no response from FIFA.
- A former FIFA official criticized the award as surreal and a violation of the organization’s stated political neutrality.
- The move underscored Infantino’s closeness to Trump—regular White House and Mar‑a‑Lago visits and a new FIFA office in Trump Tower—as FIFA’s media chief publicly defended the prize and cited prior honors given to politicians.