Donald Trump could remain the first and only recipient of FIFA’s Peace Prize if football’s governing body decides to scrap the controversial award at a council meeting scheduled for December.
FIFA is reviewing the prize, which president Gianni Infantino presented to the US president in Washington in December 2025 ahead of the draw for the 2026 World Cup.
The organisation’s Football Social Responsibility Committee is assessing the award and the circumstances surrounding its introduction, with a final decision expected later this year.
The review puts the future of an honour introduced only recently in doubt, raising questions about why FIFA created the award and whether it will become a lasting part of the organisation’s activities.
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The FIFA Peace Prize was introduced in 2025, with the stated intention that it would be awarded annually. Trump became its inaugural recipient when Infantino presented him with the honour in Washington last December.
FIFA had said the prize would be bestowed on an annual basis, but the organisation is now examining its future before a second recipient has been named. If the award is discontinued, Trump would remain its only recipient.
The timing is striking: an initiative announced as an annual honour is now facing a potential end less than a year after its introduction.
However, FIFA has not yet announced a final decision, and the committee’s review remains ongoing.
Why the award attracted scrutiny
The prize attracted attention because of the decision to honour Trump and the circumstances in which FIFA introduced it.
According to Sky Sports, there was no clear public explanation of why FIFA had decided to establish a Peace Prize or how the decision had been made to select Trump as its first recipient.
The award was widely interpreted by critics as an attempt by Infantino to cultivate a close relationship with Trump, who had not won the Nobel Peace Prize.
That interpretation, however, is a reading of the political context rather than proof of Infantino’s motivation.
The award also placed FIFA in an unusual position for a governing body primarily responsible for organising and regulating international football.
Its future review now raises a broader question about the role such honours should play in the organisation’s work.
Infantino’s relationship with Trump under the spotlight
The Peace Prize controversy comes amid wider scrutiny of Infantino’s relationship with the US president.
The two men have been publicly associated through preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Trump received the inaugural prize at a ceremony in Washington before the tournament draw.
Infantino’s leadership has also faced criticism over a separate proposal to sell private investors a stake in future FIFA tournament revenues.
That plan was abandoned after opposition from several football confederations, while European football leaders continued to demand documents explaining the proposed transaction.
At a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich on Thursday, October 15, Infantino apologised for mistakes in the communication and consultation process surrounding the abandoned proposal.
The council also addressed the Peace Prize, with FIFA’s Football Social Responsibility Committee tasked with examining the award and its rationale. Findings are expected to be presented at the next council meeting in December.
The two controversies are separate matters, but both have contributed to questions about Infantino’s decision-making and the direction of his administration.
December decision could settle the prize’s future
For now, FIFA has not formally scrapped the Peace Prize. The ongoing review means the possibility remains open, but the organisation’s original commitment to an annual award is now in question.
The committee’s assessment should provide the basis for the council’s decision in December, although the available report does not specify what criteria will determine whether the prize continues.
If FIFA decides to discontinue it, the award will have lasted only a year from its introduction and will be remembered primarily for its inaugural recipient and the controversy surrounding the decision.
If it survives the review, FIFA will still face questions about its purpose, selection process and future recipients.
Either way, the decision will determine whether the Peace Prize becomes an established FIFA initiative or remains a short-lived experiment associated with Trump’s sole award.
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