US President Donald Trump’s long pursuit of a peace prize has taken a new turn. On December 5, 2025, the President of the United States was awarded the FIFA Peace Prize during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final draw, held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
He received his long-awaited peace prize with the support of his close sporting ally, FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Infantino presented the award in Washington, D.C., stating that Trump was the chosen recipient in recognition of his “exceptional and extraordinary actions to promote peace and unity around the world.”
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He said that FIFA’s first-ever Peace Prize should go to the U.S. President, praising Trump’s efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza. Infantino reiterated that the award rightly belongs to Trump, saying, “This is your prize, this is your peace prize.”
The FIFA President has previously emphasized that soccer is a powerful symbol of global unity. FIFA explained that the Peace Prize nominee was selected on behalf of over 5 billion people worldwide, including passionate football fans. However, netizens have strongly reacted to the selection process, with many questioning the integrity and the necessity of introducing another peace prize awarded by FIFA.
Trump has been advocating for a Nobel Peace Prize for years. The POTUS has been nominated multiple times but has never actually received the award. On Friday, he received his long-awaited peace prize in the presence of FIFA officials, invited guests, and diplomats. Upon accepting the award, he expressed his gratitude, calling it “one of the greatest honours of my life.”
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He has repeatedly claimed credit for helping to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and ending the 12-day Israel–Iran conflict. The U.S. President has also asserted that he played a key role in resolving the long-running rift between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terrorist attack in May 2025. However, India has strongly denied any involvement by the Trump administration in the ceasefire.
Trump’s excitement for the upcoming FIFA World Cup led him to say that the sport should be referred to as “football” instead of “soccer” in the US. He was awarded both a medal and a trophy at the ceremony. While his long-awaited desire to receive a peace-related award has finally materialised, many social media users have criticised FIFA for the decision.
One user on X expressed dissatisfaction, saying, “FIFA is so corrupted, man. They actually made a ‘peace’ award for Trump because he got upset about not getting the Nobel Peace Prize… What are we even doing here?” Another took a jab at Trump’s failure to win a Nobel Prize, writing, “He will be telling us from now on how this award is actually more important than the Nobel Peace Prize.”
FIFA introduced the Peace Prize in November 2025. The much-awaited World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across 16 host cities.
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