Overview
- At the Kennedy Center group draw in Washington, President Donald Trump received a newly created FIFA Peace Prize from Gianni Infantino and placed the medal on himself on stage.
- Multiple reports say the award was created and bestowed without formal FIFA Council approval as Infantino lauded Trump as a “leader” and pledged his support.
- The ACLU warned the move risks turning FIFA into a platform for authoritarianism, and Human Rights Watch faulted the lack of a transparent selection process.
- International press coverage condemned the ceremony as politicized theater, noting a celebrity-heavy show that overshadowed the sporting draw and sidelined Canada’s and Mexico’s leaders.
- Reactions within football were divided, with DFB president Bernd Neuendorf declining to criticize and citing what he viewed as Trump’s peace efforts, coach Julian Nagelsmann offering a measured response, and Politico reporting frustration among several FIFA officials.