Sports

FIFA Faces Calls to Discontinue Peace Prize After Trump Award

By Manasi Pathak

FIFA is reviewing the merits of its Peace Prize after several council members called for its discontinuation. The prize, announced on 5 November, was awarded to former U.S. President Donald Trump a month later. Trump, who had not received the Nobel Peace Prize despite a campaign of endorsements, thanked FIFA and called the award “one of the great honours of my life.” FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented the prize at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., and praised Trump for his efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza. The award was criticized for being given less than 24 hours after a U.S. air strike in the Caribbean and for its timing amid the U.S.–Israel war on Iran.

During a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on Thursday, several member nations demanded that the award be discontinued or limited to non‑politicians. FIFA’s 22‑member Football Social Responsibility Committee has been tasked with assessing the award and will present a recommendation at the next council meeting in Doha, Qatar, on 16 December. FIFA vice‑president and English FA president Debbie Hewitt said the committee would examine how the prize was conceived, who decided to award it, and whether it should be abolished or reformed.

The Norwegian Football Association (NFF) has also raised concerns. In October, the NFF filed formal complaints with FIFA committees about the Peace Prize, and in April its president Lise Klaveness called for its abolition, arguing that it was outside FIFA’s mandate. Human rights group FairSquare has accused Infantino of breaching neutrality by supporting Trump.

Criticism has come from beyond football associations. Australian midfielder Jackson Irvine said the prize undermined FIFA’s credibility as a force for good, while former UN official Craig Mokhiber called the award a “truly shameful development” and accused Infantino of using it to curry favour with Trump.

Infantino’s leadership has already faced backlash over a plan to sell a 20% commercial stake in the World Cup, which was abandoned after opposition from UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and CONCACAF. He is running for re‑election in March amid calls for him to step down.

FIFA has not yet issued a formal statement beyond Infantino’s note that the Football Social Responsibility Committee will analyse the prize and that a decision will be taken at the next council meeting.