FIFA head says ‘you will see’ at World Cup draw if Trump receives peace prize : NPR
President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino pose for a photo in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Monday, October 13, 2025.
Suzanne Plunkett/AP/Pool REUTERS
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Suzanne Plunkett/AP/Pool REUTERS
MIAMI — FIFA has announced the creation of a peace prize, which it plans to award for the first time during the World Cup draw on December 5 in Washington.
The prize, called the FIFA Peace Prize, “will recognize exceptional actions in favor of peace”, football’s governing body said on Wednesday. But FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has a close relationship with President Donald Trump, did not raise his hand Wednesday when asked if Trump would be the first recipient of the award.
“On December 5, you will see,” Infantino said. He was speaking at the America Business Forum in Miami, shortly after Trump spoke at the same event.
Infantino said earlier Wednesday that “in an increasingly unstable and divided world, it is fundamental to recognize the exceptional contribution of those who work hard to end conflicts and bring people together in a spirit of peace.” FIFA said the award, which Infantino will present this year, will be given annually “on behalf of fans around the world.”
Trump was passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize last month despite lobbying from fellow Republicans, various world leaders and himself. And Infantino made no secret of the ties between himself, FIFA and Trump in his remarks on Wednesday.
“I’m really lucky. I have a great relationship with President Trump, who I consider a very close friend,” Infantino said. “Of course, he’s been very, very helpful in everything we do for the World Cup. … He has such incredible energy and that’s something I really admire. He does things. He does what he says. He says what he thinks. He says, in fact, what a lot of people think too, but maybe don’t dare say. And that’s why he’s so successful.”
FIFA recently added another Trump connection by appointing his daughter Ivanka to the board of directors of a $100 million education project funded in part by 2026 World Cup ticket sales.
The World Cup draw and peace prize presentation are expected to attract about a billion viewers worldwide, Infantino said.
