Can Donald Trump Win the FIFA Peace Prize Today?
President Donald Trump might add a new award to his collection today. FIFA is set to hand out its brand new Peace Prize during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, D.C.
The big question on everyone’s mind is simple. Will Trump walk away with the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize?
All signs point to yes.
What’s Happening Today
The World Cup draw takes place at the Kennedy Center starting at 12 PM EST. About 1 billion people around the world will tune in to watch which teams land in which groups for the 2026 tournament.
But this year’s draw includes something extra. FIFA President Gianni Infantino will present the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize during the ceremony.
Trump plans to attend the event. So do the leaders of Mexico and Canada. All three countries will host the 2026 World Cup together.
The ceremony features some interesting entertainment choices. Andrea Bocelli will perform. He’s one of Trump’s favorite singers. The Village People will close out the show with “Y.M.C.A.” That’s the song Trump plays at his rallies.
These details make it pretty clear who the event is designed for.
Why Everyone Thinks Trump will Win
FIFA won’t officially say who gets the prize. But the clues are everywhere.
Infantino calls Trump “a close friend.” The FIFA president has praised Trump at nearly every opportunity. He attended Trump’s inauguration in January. He showed up at the Gaza peace summit in Egypt. He’s handed Trump major FIFA trophies.
The two men have spent more public time together than Trump has spent with most world leaders during his second term.
Infantino even went on Instagram to say Trump “definitely deserves” the Nobel Peace Prize. That was right before the Nobel Committee announced their winner in October.
The Nobel Prize went to María Corina Machado instead. She’s a Venezuelan opposition leader who fights for democracy.
The Timing Raises Questions
FIFA announced the Peace Prize in November 2025. That came just weeks after Trump missed out on the Nobel.
The announcement caught people off guard. Several senior FIFA officials learned about the prize through press releases. Board members and vice presidents weren’t consulted about creating it.
Four soccer executives familiar with the situation told reporters that the decision surprised FIFA’s top leadership. The prize was pushed through so quickly that many insiders had no idea it was coming.
This rapid timeline makes people suspicious about the real reason for creating the award.
What Infantino Says about It
When reporters asked Infantino directly if Trump would win, he wouldn’t give a straight answer.
“On the 5th of December, you will see,” Infantino said at a business forum in Miami last month. Trump had just finished speaking at the same event.
Infantino explained why FIFA created the prize. He said the world feels divided right now. People need to see examples of leaders working to end conflicts and bring communities together.
The FIFA president added that Trump has “such an incredible energy” that he really admires. He said Trump does what he says and says what he thinks.
The Trump-FIFA Connection Runs Deep
Trump and FIFA have built a strong relationship over the past year.
Trump created a White House Task Force dedicated entirely to the 2026 World Cup. His daughter Ivanka Trump joined the board of a $100 million FIFA education project. The project gets funding from World Cup ticket sales.
FIFA rents office space in Trump Tower in New York. The space sits mostly empty according to people familiar with how FIFA uses it. FIFA already has a major North American headquarters in Miami.
Trump also became Board Chair of the Kennedy Center. That’s the venue hosting today’s World Cup draw and peace prize ceremony.
Trump’s Peace Prize History
Trump has wanted a Nobel Peace Prize for years. He’s been nominated multiple times during both of his presidencies.
Trump claims he has ended eight wars since returning to office. Many fact-checkers dispute these claims. But Trump continues to talk about his peace efforts.
Republican lawmakers have nominated Trump for the Nobel. So have some world leaders. Trump has even lobbied for himself to win it.
The Nobel Committee hasn’t been convinced. They keep giving the prize to other people.
The Controversy Gets Louder
Human rights groups are not happy about this situation.
Human Rights Watch sent FIFA a letter asking for details about the selection process. They wanted to know who nominates candidates. They wanted to know who judges the nominations. They wanted to know what criteria FIFA uses.
FIFA never responded to their questions.
Minky Worden works at Human Rights Watch. She said her organization got no answers from FIFA. This suggests there might not be any formal process at all.
The NAACP spoke out too. Jamal Watkins is a senior vice president there. He called the idea of giving Trump a peace prize “actually laughable.”
Human Rights Watch pointed out the timing problems. The award comes while the U.S. government increases immigration enforcement. National Guard troops have been deployed to American cities. FIFA canceled its own anti-racism and anti-discrimination campaigns.
FIFA Officials Have Concerns
Not everyone inside FIFA feels good about this prize.
European soccer leaders have expressed worry about Infantino getting too close to Trump. Some walked out of FIFA’s annual congress in Paraguay after Infantino showed up hours late. He had been touring the Gulf with Trump.
FairSquare director Nick McGeehan said Infantino’s decision to connect FIFA so closely with Trump might make short-term business sense. But it harms the integrity and reputation of soccer.
FIFA’s own Code of Ethics tells participants to “remain politically neutral.” Infantino regularly says sport should unite people. But his actions with Trump raise questions about whether FIFA is following its own rules.
The Kennedy Center Deal
FIFA is occupying the Kennedy Center for three weeks to prepare for today’s draw. This forced the venue to cancel much of its profitable holiday season schedule.
Questions came up about whether FIFA was paying for the space. The initial contract details suggested FIFA wouldn’t pay to use the venue. That would cost the Kennedy Center millions in lost revenue.
A Kennedy Center spokeswoman later said FIFA is paying $5 million in sponsorships and donating another $2.4 million. The contract didn’t mention those payments at first.
Richard Grenell is the Kennedy Center president. He wrote a letter saying FIFA is covering the event’s total expenses rather than paying a simple rental fee.
What This Means for FIFA
FIFA has always promoted soccer as a tool for peace. The organization talks about how the sport brings people together across borders and cultures.
But FIFA never created an official peace prize before. This sudden decision puzzles longtime observers of international soccer.
Some people compare it to other organizations stepping outside their expertise. A physics organization giving out literature prizes would seem odd. A soccer governing body handing out peace prizes raises similar questions.
The Prediction Markets Weigh In
Betting markets show overwhelming confidence that Trump will win.
Kalshi prediction markets put Trump’s chances at 91% as of Thursday morning. That’s about as close to certain as prediction markets get without official confirmation.
Only 9% of bettors think someone else will receive the award.
Immigration Policy Concerns
The World Cup brings up other Trump-related questions too.
The Trump administration has travel restrictions on 19 countries. Two of those countries are Iran and Haiti. Both have already qualified for the World Cup.
Fans from those countries might not be able to attend matches. The administration has hinted it might expand the travel ban to even more countries.
The State Department says it’s working with people who already bought tickets. They created something called “FIFA PASS” to speed up visa appointments and interviews.
More than 1 million tickets have already sold for the 2026 World Cup. The tournament starts in June. FIFA expects to make more than $10 billion in revenue.
What Happens at Noon
The World Cup draw ceremony starts at 12 PM EST today. The event will determine how the 48 qualifying teams get sorted into 12 groups.
Teams will learn their opponents for the group stage. Fans will start making travel plans. The tournament becomes real instead of just an idea.
Somewhere during that ceremony, Infantino will present the FIFA Peace Prize to its first-ever winner.
FIFA still hasn’t officially announced who that winner will be. But Trump’s attendance at the event tells you most of what you need to know.
The world will find out for certain in just a few hours whether Trump gets his peace prize after all.
