Did FIFA ever award medals to Donald Trump or U.S. political figures?
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Executive summary
FIFA created a new “FIFA Peace Prize” in 2025 and presented its inaugural award — a trophy and a commemorative medal — to U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Dec. 5, 2025 at the 2026 World Cup final draw in Washington, D.C. Multiple mainstream outlets report Trump accepted the medal onstage; FIFA’s own site and AP confirm the presentation and the framing that the prize recognizes alleged actions promoting peace and unity [1] [2] [3].
1. A new prize, handed to a sitting U.S. president
FIFA established the FIFA Peace Prize this year and unveiled it publicly at the World Cup draw; FIFA’s own account describes President Trump as the inaugural recipient, and photos and video from the event show Gianni Infantino presenting a gold trophy and a commemorative medal which Trump put on [1] [3] [2].
2. How mainstream outlets described the ceremony
AP, Reuters, BBC, CNN, CNBC, Fortune and other outlets reported the same core facts: FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino presented the new prize and medal to Trump during the Kennedy Center ceremony that accompanied the World Cup draw on Dec. 5, 2025 [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7].
3. FIFA’s rationale and what the citation cites
FIFA and Infantino framed the award as recognising “exceptional and extraordinary” actions to promote peace and unity; FIFA’s write-up cites Trump’s claimed diplomatic work — including ceasefire efforts and shuttle diplomacy — as reasons for the award [1] [3] [2].
4. Immediate reaction and controversy
The award drew rapid scepticism and ridicule online and in editorial coverage. Critics and commentators called the prize politically motivated, mocked the medal as a “participation” or “made-up” award, and noted the optics of Infantino’s public friendliness with Trump [8] [9] [10] [11]. Media commentary also highlighted broad public debate over whether FIFA should be issuing a peace prize at a sporting draw [5] [12].
5. Questions about process, neutrality and governance
Reporting notes that FIFA did not fully disclose a transparent selection process and that some in football governance view Infantino’s unilateral promotion of the award as problematic; advocacy groups called for investigations into whether FIFA’s rules on political neutrality or governance were breached [5] [13] [12].
6. Disagreement over the underlying facts the prize cites
Several outlets say FIFA credited Trump with contributions to ceasefires and diplomatic progress; other reporting and commentators explicitly dispute those claims, noting conflicts cited by critics — such as ongoing fighting in Gaza and other international crises — remain unresolved and disputed [1] [5] [12] [6].
7. Broader context: FIFA’s reputation and political entanglements
Coverage places the ceremony against a long shadow over FIFA’s credibility after past corruption scandals and the organisation’s fraught political history. Analysts flagged that the prize amplifies scrutiny about Infantino’s relationships with political leaders and whether the organisation is aligning itself with particular national agendas [7] [13] [12].
8. What the record does and does not say
Available sources uniformly report that Trump received the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize and a commemorative medal at the 2026 World Cup draw on Dec. 5, 2025 [1] [2] [3]. Available sources do not mention FIFA having previously awarded medals to other U.S. political figures before 2025; prior FIFA awards of this specific “Peace Prize” did not exist until this inaugural presentation [1] [3].
9. Conflicting narratives and why they matter
FIFA and Infantino’s narrative is that the award honours work toward peace; critics say the award serves political theatre and personal flattery that compromises FIFA’s impartiality. Both narratives are documented in the reporting, and both have implications: one frames the prize as recognition of diplomatic outcomes, the other frames it as a governance and optics problem for FIFA [1] [5] [12] [13].
10. What to watch next
Follow-up reporting outlets flagged potential consequences: calls for internal FIFA ethics reviews, public-relations fallout, and scrutiny of whether any administrative favors or legal decisions coincided with the award [13] [9]. These are active storylines in the sources; their outcomes remain to be reported in future coverage [13] [9].