Has FIFA signed formal agreements with the United Nations on peace-through-sport initiatives?

1. FIFA has launched a peace prize — but that is FIFA’s own initiative

FIFA announced the “FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World,” to be awarded annually to “individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace,” and confirmed the inaugural presentation would take place on 5 December 2025 at the World Cup draw ^{[1] [4]}. Coverage from AP, CNN, BBC, Fortune and others documents the prize as a FIFA-created award, not as a UN-backed program ^{[2] [5] [6] [7]}.

2. The first prize was presented to Donald Trump in a high-profile ceremony

Multiple outlets report that Gianni Infantino presented the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to President Donald Trump during the World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington on 5 December 2025; photographs and certificates were distributed at the event ^{[2] [3] [8]}. Reporting highlights the ceremony’s spectacle and the political associations it created ^{[9] [4]}.

3. Reporting notes controversy over neutrality and motivations

Commentary and watchdog groups questioned the move as politically charged and possibly driven by Infantino’s close ties to Trump; some FIFA officials reportedly learned of the prize through media reports, and critics warned the prize risks breaching FIFA’s stated political neutrality ^{[7] [10] [11]}. Observers flagged possible institutional governance problems in how the prize was created and awarded ^[7].

4. No documentation in these sources of any formal FIFA–UN agreement

The articles provided describe FIFA’s own prize and public statements about football’s power to “promote unity” and “carry a message of peace,” but none of the supplied coverage cites a signed memorandum of understanding, formal partnership, or joint program between FIFA and the United Nations on peace-through-sport initiatives (not found in current reporting). If such a formal agreement exists, it is not mentioned in the linked reports.

5. Distinction between symbolic awards and formal international agreements

The sources make clear FIFA’s action was to create and bestow an award — a symbolic, organizational initiative — rather than to enter into a formalized international pact. Symbolic awards carry reputational influence but do not equate to treaties, UN resolutions, or signed cooperative frameworks that commit resources or joint programs ^{[1] [4]}.

6. Competing perspectives in the sources: promotion vs. skepticism

FIFA leadership framed the prize as part of football’s “moral responsibility” to unite people and promote peace ^[4]. By contrast, critics and editorial voices called the move exploitative or politically partisan, noting Infantino’s public praise of Trump and concerns about ethics and neutrality ^{[10] [9]}. News outlets reported both the ceremony and the criticism, reflecting a split between FIFA’s stated aims and watchdog skepticism ^{[5] [7]}.

7. What to look for next if you want confirmation of a FIFA–UN deal

A genuine formal agreement would typically be announced jointly by the two parties and documented with a signed text or press release hosted on the UN website or FIFA’s official channels. None of the provided reports link to such a document; therefore, readers should seek official statements from the UN or a published memorandum of understanding if and when they appear (not found in current reporting).

Limitations: this analysis relies solely on the supplied articles and commentary. They document FIFA’s creation and awarding of a peace prize and report controversy around that action, but they do not report any signed or formal FIFA–United Nations agreement on peace-through-sport initiatives (not found in current reporting).