Trump awarded inaugural FIFA Peace Prize at World Cup draw

President Donald Trump was awarded the new FIFA Peace Prize on Friday at the 2026 World Cup draw - giving the spectacle to set matchups for the quadrennial soccer tournament even more of a Trumpian flair.

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Trump, who has openly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Price, had been heavily favoured to win the newly created FIFA prize. He and FIFA President Gianni Infantino are close allies, and Infantino had made clear that he thought Trump should have won the Nobel for his efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.

The US president was awarded the prize that Infantino said was a "beautiful medal for you that you can wear everywhere you want to go." Trump promptly placed the medal around his neck. The certificate that Infantino handed Trump recognises the US president for his actions to "promote peace and unity around the world."

"This is what we want from a leader-a leader that cares about the people," Infantino said about Trump, who was also presented with a gold trophy with his name on it that depicts hands holding up the world. The FIFA leader said to Trump "this is your prize, this is your peace prize."

Trump thanked his family, including his wife, first lady Melania Trump, and praised the leaders of the other two host nations - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum - in his brief remarks, saying the coordination with the countries has been "outstanding." "This is truly one of the great honours of my life," Trump said.

Infantino has often spoken about soccer as a unifier for the world, but the prize is a departure from the federation's traditional focus on sport.