Has FIFA officially commented on any medals or honors linked to Donald Trump?
Executive summary
FIFA has created and publicly awarded a newly announced FIFA Peace Prize, and Gianni Infantino presented the inaugural prize — a trophy, medal and certificate — to U.S. President Donald Trump onstage at the 2026 World Cup official draw in Washington on Dec. 5, 2025 [1] [2]. Reporting across Reuters, CNN, AP, BBC and others documents the presentation, Infantino’s praise and that the selection process and rationale have drawn scrutiny [3] [4] [2].
1. What actually happened at the World Cup draw
FIFA introduced a new award called the “FIFA Peace Prize — Football Unites the World” and presented its first-ever Peace Prize during the 2026 World Cup draw at the John F. Kennedy Center; Gianni Infantino handed a large gold trophy, a medal and a certificate to President Donald Trump onstage [1] [2] [5]. Trump accepted the medal and called it “one of the great honors of my life” while speaking briefly at the event [5] [6].
2. FIFA’s public statements and Infantino’s endorsement
FIFA, through its president Gianni Infantino, publicly framed the award as recognising “exceptional and extraordinary actions to promote peace and unity around the world,” and Infantino had earlier said Trump “definitely” deserved recognition — comments carried in FIFA’s promotional material and social posts and cited by outlets such as CNN and The Guardian [4] [7]. FIFA described the prize as aimed at honoring people who “have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace” and “united people across the world” [1] [2].
3. Questions about process and impartiality
Multiple outlets note the selection process was opaque: CNN and The Athletic reported that how the winner was chosen “isn’t exactly clear” and that FIFA insiders had signalled Trump as the likely recipient before a formal public justification was published [4] [8]. Critics and several newsrooms highlighted the close relationship between Infantino and Trump and said that relationship raises questions about the independence and timing of the award [7] [6].
4. Why the choice is controversial
News organisations emphasised the controversy stems from three linked facts: the prize departs from FIFA’s traditional sport-focused mission; Infantino has been a visible ally of Trump and publicly campaigned for related honors such as the Nobel; and commentators noted ongoing conflicts that complicate the claim Trump has “promoted peace” [2] [9] [7]. The Guardian and other outlets contrasted Infantino’s praise with continuing hostilities — for example in Gaza — which critics say undercuts the peace rationale [7].
5. How media outlets reported the award
Mainstream outlets uniformly reported the ceremony and the mechanics of the presentation: Reuters, AP, BBC, CNBC, The Guardian, Axios and others carried photos, quotes and the detail that the prize package included a trophy, medal and certificate [3] [2] [1] [5] [7] [10]. Coverage varied in tone: some pieces were descriptive and factual; others foregrounded satire or criticism of the optics and of Infantino’s close ties to Trump [3] [11] [9].
6. What FIFA has and has not said (limits of public record)
Available sources document FIFA’s public presentation of the prize and Infantino’s justification for awarding it to Trump; they also include FIFA’s formal description of the prize’s purpose [1] [2]. Available sources do not mention a detailed, published nomination or adjudication process, nor do they cite independent verification that the prize followed an established, transparent selection protocol [4] [8]. If FIFA has released additional internal deliberations or a selection panel’s report, that material is not cited in the reporting provided here.
7. Competing perspectives and implicit agendas
Supporters, including Infantino, framed the award as recognition of diplomatic steps attributed to Trump such as past accords and a recent ceasefire claim; critics argue the move serves Infantino’s political alignment with Trump and politicizes FIFA beyond sport [6] [7]. Observers should note the implicit agenda: FIFA and its president gain global attention and influence by aligning with a sitting U.S. leader who can shape visa, security and hosting logistics — a dynamic noted by outlets such as Axios [10].
8. Bottom line for readers
FIFA did officially comment publicly — through its president and its prize announcement — and formally presented the FIFA Peace Prize and accompanying medal to Donald Trump at the World Cup draw [1] [2]. Reporting shows the presentation happened and documents both FIFA’s stated rationale and the criticisms of opacity and proximity between Infantino and Trump; independent verification of a transparent selection process is not found in the sources reviewed [4] [8].