FIFA announced on Wednesday that it will unveil an award next month to recognize “exceptional actions for peace and unity,” and President Donald Trump is an early front-runner.
The inaugural FIFA Peace Prize will be handed out at the 2026 World Cup final draw in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 5.
“The award will be presented to individuals who, through their unwavering commitment and their special actions, have helped to unite people all over the world in peace and consequently deserve a special and unique recognition,” FIFA said in its announcement.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement: “In an increasingly unsettled and divided world, it’s fundamental to recognise the outstanding contribution of those who work hard to end conflicts and bring people together in a spirit of peace.”
Infantino’s nod to ending conflicts comes just weeks after he attended the summit where world leaders agreed to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as a guest of Trump, where he said that FIFA would commit to rebuilding soccer facilities in Gaza after much of the region’s sports infrastructure had been destroyed.
Trump, several world leaders, and his Republican allies have lobbied throughout the year for him to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu nominated him for the award in July, long after nominations closed in January. Infantino said last month that Trump “definitely deserves” the prize. When Trump was not selected, White House communications director Steven Cheung said the Nobel Committee “proved they place politics over peace.”
Infantino and Trump both attended the America Business Forum in Miami on Tuesday. At the conference, Infantino praised Trump, and when asked if his “really close friend” would receive the peace prize, answered: “On the 5th of December, you will see.”
“I have to say it and I’m a bit surprised sometimes when we read some negative comments,” Infantino said of Trump’s presidency on Wednesday. “He is just implementing what he said he would do. So I think we should all support what he’s doing because I think it’s looking pretty good.”
When reached, FIFA’s media relations team did not answer questions about the selection process or whether candidates would be announced in advance, instead pointing back to its Wednesday announcement.
Trump and Infantino have been especially close through the U.S. president’s second term. Infantino skipped the annual FIFA Congress in the spring to accompany an official visit to the Middle East. This summer, FIFA set up a headquarters at Trump Tower in New York. Trump was heavily involved in the Club World Cup, welcoming Juventus to the Oval Office, attending the final match, joining Chelsea onstage for its championship photo op, and holding onto the official tournament hardware.
For next year’s World Cup, Trump set up a government task force and his One Big Beautiful Bill Act included $625 million in federal funding to host cities for security. In October, FIFA named Trump’s daughter Ivanka to the board of its education charity partially funded by World Cup ticket sales.
