FIFA boss Gianni Infantino reportedly blindsided his own top officials when he hastily created a “Peace Prize” soon after President Donald Trump lost out on the Nobel Peace Prize he’s long sought.
The inaugural winner of the new prize will be named alongside Friday’s World Cup draw, though Trump is a clear favorite, as Infantino had publicly called for the U.S. president to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in Gaza.
Now it appears Trump, 79, will be awarded the soccer peace prize, according to Politico.
Not long after the Nobel Peace Prize announcement on Oct. 10, the FIFA president pushed through the new “FIFA Peace Prize — Football Unites the World,” in a development so rushed it surprised senior FIFA board members and vice presidents, according to the New York Times.
FIFA will reveal the first honoree during Friday’s draw for the 2026 men’s World Cup finals at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. As the Times noted, “there is little doubt” about who’s set to receive it, though FIFA has kept the name under wraps.
And Politico has since confirmed Trump’s apparent win, citing a draft of the show.
Infantino has repeatedly lauded Trump and entwined FIFA into his orbit—turning up at events that have little to do with soccer and even handing over major FIFA trophies to the president. Infantino also oversaw FIFA renting office space in Trump Tower, two years after the body opened a North American hub in Miami, but several officials told the Times that it mostly lies empty.
The pair’s relationship is so tight that the president has spent more public face-to-face time with the soccer boss during his second term than any world leader, Politico reports.
The Kennedy Center, once known as an apolitical venue for the arts, is now run by Trump loyalists. The event placement has intensified scrutiny of FIFA’s political proximity to the White House, and last month, Democrats questioned the arrangement.
Infantino said the award, which FIFA announced on Nov. 5, will honor people who “end conflicts and bring people together.”
Trump has embraced the World Cup as a political and diplomatic showcase. He set up a government task force run by Andrew Giuliani, the son of his former lawyer and close ally Rudy Giuliani, to ensure the tournament “goes smoothly,” and the White House has touted efforts to expedite travel for ticketed visitors.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle said Trump was “excited to attend” the draw, adding that the administration’s partnership with Infantino would deliver “one of the most iconic sporting events in history,” reported the Times.
Trump also invited Infantino to Egypt in October for a Gaza summit, raising some eyebrows at the time.
In return, Infantino—who Trump has described as “my boy”—has said strong ties with the U.S. government are essential as the expanded 48-team tournament crisscrosses the United States, with games also staged in Canada and Mexico.
Infantino’s schedule reflects this. After touring the Gulf with Trump in May, he arrived hours late to FIFA’s annual congress in Paraguay, prompting European soccer leaders to walk out, the Times reports.
But, according to Politico, such closeness has come at a price, with the FIFA president facing internal opposition for his courtship of Trump.
The Daily Beast has contacted FIFA and the White House for comment.
