FIFA announced a new annual award called the FIFA Peace Prize — Football Unites the World. The organisation says the prize will recognise people who have made “exceptional” contributions to peace, and the inaugural trophy will be presented during the 2026 World Cup final draw in Washington, D.C., on December 5, 2025.
Where and when this will take place
FIFA plans to hand over the first prize at the Final Draw ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington on December 5 — the same high-profile event that sets the tournament groups and typically attracts a very large global audience. The 2026 World Cup itself runs across the U.S., Canada and Mexico next summer (June 11–July 19, 2026).
Why FIFA says it matters
FIFA framed the prize as a way to highlight people who use football and leadership to bring communities together in tense or divided situations. In its announcement, the governing body emphasised football’s potential to unite people and said the award will be given annually.
The politics around the announcement — Infantino and Trump
FIFA President Gianni Infantino teased the prize’s first recipient while speaking at the America Business Forum in Miami. When asked whether former U.S. President Donald Trump would receive the prize, Infantino declined to confirm and said, “On the 5th of December, you will see.” Infantino has publicly described a close relationship with Trump and praised his help with World Cup preparations — comments that have drawn media attention because of the political ties involved.
A further link to the Trump family: the education fund
Separately, FIFA has appointed Ivanka Trump to the advisory board of a $100 million education initiative backed in part by 2026 World Cup ticket sales. FIFA says the project aims to fund education grants worldwide; the fund reportedly plans to use $1 from each World Cup ticket and has already raised a portion of the target. That appointment and the prize announcement together have intensified coverage about FIFA’s growing public ties to the Trump family.
- Who receives the first prize: Given Infantino’s comments and Trump’s presence at draw events, the identity of the inaugural recipient will shape whether the award is seen primarily as a sporting-ceremony honour or a politically contentious prize.
- Public and media reaction: FIFA’s leadership has faced scrutiny over governance and politics before; observers will be watching how federations, fans and civil-society groups respond.
- The education fund’s rollout: Details on how the $100M fund will allocate money and who sits on its advisory board will affect perceptions of FIFA’s broader social-impact commitments.
FIFA’s new Peace Prize is positioned as an annual recognition of people who advance peace through football and leadership. The organisation will present the first award at the World Cup Final Draw in Washington on December 5, 2025. Because of visible personal ties between FIFA’s president and figures in U.S. politics — and Ivanka Trump’s recent appointment to a FIFA-linked education initiative — the prize’s first recipient and the surrounding narrative are likely to prompt close public and media scrutiny.
The Information is Collected from The Sun and ESPN.
