FIFA’s short-lived Peace Prize may already be heading for the exit, leaving Donald Trump as its only recipient if the governing body decides to scrap the award.
FIFA to review the future of its Peace Prize
The prize, introduced on the initiative of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and handed to the US president in 2025, was initially presented as an annual distinction. Its future is now under examination after becoming a subject at FIFA Council meetings in Zurich.
- FIFA created the Peace Prize, with Infantino driving the project and Trump chosen as the inaugural winner.
- The trophy was presented around the World Cup draw, a decision that prompted immediate criticism.
- At Thursday’s FIFA Council gathering in Zurich, the award’s future was among the matters discussed.
- Infantino has passed the issue to FIFA’s Football Social Responsibility Committee, which will assess the prize and submit a recommendation.
- The FIFA Council is expected to make its final decision at its next meeting in December.
“The Football Social Responsibility Committee will be asked to analyse the FIFA Peace Prize and make a proposal,” Infantino said in a video issued by FIFA. “A decision will then be taken at the next meeting of the FIFA Council.”
Infantino under pressure after criticism
The review comes during a difficult period for the FIFA president, following opposition to his proposed FIFA commercial subsidiary. Allowing the social responsibility body to decide the prize’s future has been viewed as an attempt to ease tensions with his critics.
The award attracted controversy from the moment it was announced. Infantino was accused of establishing it without sufficient consultation, while the selection of Trump as the first winner brought further scrutiny.
Critics argued that the presentation, staged in the build-up to the 2026 World Cup that will be hosted mainly in the United States, reflected Infantino’s closeness to Trump and was designed to please the American president.
A one-winner honour?
If FIFA abolishes the prize after only one edition, Trump will stand alone in its history as the sole recipient. The answer is due in December, when FIFA’s Council considers the committee’s recommendation.
