By MMN reporter 6.12.2025
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been called to question for his display of sycophancy by awarding the maiden FIFA “Peace Prize” to US President Donald Trump.
At the 2026 World Cup draws held at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC Mr Infantino presented President Trump with the award in recognition of his ‘extraordinary actions to promote peace and unity throughout the world’.
No doubt it was compensation for Mr. Trump missing out of the Nobel Peace Prize he openly coveted. It seems FIFA created the award just to make the US President happy. That was the most talked about highlight of the draws that will see 48 nations battle for World Cup honours in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
“This is what we want from a leader: a leader that cares about the people. We want to live in a safe world, in a safe environment. We want to unite, and that’s what we do here today, and that’s what we want to do at the World Cup,” Infantino said as he presented the award.
“Mr President, you definitely deserve the first FIFA Peace Prize for your action, for what you have obtained in your way, but you have obtained in an incredible way.”
But critics jumped in to remind the FIFA boss that Mr. Trump so far in his administration has been the most polarising figure in the world political order.
“Not satisfied with two years of FIFA complicity in genocide in Palestine, Infantino and his cronies have now invented a new ‘peace prize’ in order to curry favour with Donald Trump,” Craig Mokhiber a former United Nations officer told Al Jazeera.
He added that the award also aims to “obscure” Trump’s “disgraceful record” of support to Israel, his deadly strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea, and “gross violations of human rights” inside the US.
“FIFA rules do not allow play on a muddy pitch. They certainly shouldn’t play on a bloody pitch. But that’s precisely where Infantino is leading FIFA,” Mokhiber stated.
Football journalist Zach Lowy writing on X social media platform wrote: “Giving Donald Trump a prize for peace is like giving Luis Suarez a prize for not biting people’s ears off,”
Human Rights Watch also chimed in.
“US President Donald Trump was just awarded the newly created ‘FIFA Peace Prize’,” Human Rights Watch said on the social media platform X.
“But his administration’s appalling human rights record certainly does not display ‘exceptional actions for peace and unity’.”