FIFA has stood firmly behind its controversial decision to award Donald Trump with its inaugural peace prize, despite mounting pressure from advocacy groups and widespread criticism following recent policy announcements from the US president.
The world football governing body presented the award to Trump, 79, during the World Cup draw ceremony in December. FIFA president Gianni Infantino lauded the Republican leader for his involvement in Middle East peace negotiations and efforts to bring the Ukraine-Russia conflict to an end.
This is truly one of the great honours of my life,
Trump said during the Washington ceremony ahead of the tournament, which will be hosted across the US, Mexico and Canada. He claimed to have saved tens of millions of lives through his interventions.
However, the situation has shifted dramatically since that December ceremony. Trump’s administration has now implemented travel restrictions that prevent certain groups of supporters from visiting the country to watch their national teams compete. The US also captured Venezuela president Nicolás Maduro, followed by large-scale strikes on the capital. Additionally, Trump’s demands for US control of Greenland have escalated into a tariff dispute with eight European nations, including the UK, that oppose his plans.
FairSquare, an organization dedicated to promoting greater accountability in sport, has accused Infantino of breaching FIFA’s rules on political neutrality by presenting the award. In response to the growing backlash, FIFA has reinforced its position.
FIFA strongly supports its annual peace prize, an award to recognise exceptional actions for peace and unity. FIFA notes the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, has given her medal to President Trump. FIFA has strong relations with President Trump, along with leaders from fellow co-hosts Canada and Mexico. This has resulted in good working relationships leading to, for example in the US, the formation of the White House Task Force for the FIFA World Cup,
a FIFA spokesperson said.
The Trump administration is now indefinitely suspending immigrant visa processing from 75 countries to ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people, according to the White House, which stated the restrictions are intended to protect the security of the United States. The new policy, taking effect this week, will likely impact World Cup fans planning to travel to the tournament. Haiti and Iran face complete bans, while Ivory Coast and Senegal have partial restrictions, all four nations having qualified for the World Cup. Lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, diplomats and athletes travelling for major sporting events are exempt from these restrictions.
