FIFA Launches New Peace Prize to premiere at 2026 World Cup draw in Washington

FIFA has announced a new annual prize, the FIFA Peace Prize, which will be awarded for the first time at the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, D.C.

The announcement on Wednesday is an indication of the governing body aiming to reward the people who use football as a source of unity and peace in the world.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement that football can change the world and that football is peace. Introducing FIFA Peace Prize - Football Unites the World, FIFA offers a reward to organizations that unite people and give them hope in the future generation.

This announcement came before Infantino appeared at the America Business Forum in Miami, which also featured the U.S. President Donald Trump and Argentina football legend Lionel Messi as speakers.

FIFA did not yet make public the inaugural winner, but it did not take long before speculation that President Trump would be the first recipient came up.

The close friends of Infantino, Trump, is expected to be present at the draw on December 5 at the Kennedy Center.

Trump and Infantino, in a coordinated announcement in August in the Oval Office, announced that the World Cup draw will take place at the Kennedy center.

The new president, who has become the chairman of the cultural institution, has characterised his leadership in the cultural institution as a part of his campaign against what he refers to as woke culture.

Trump has made it clear since his re-election to the White House in January that he thinks he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize because of his alleged work in peace efforts globally.

But last month, the Norwegian Nobel Committee bypassed Trump once again and gave the award to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first World Cup to have 48 teams and is set to be held collectively within the United States, Canada, and Mexico between June 11 and July 19, 2026.

The Peace Prize being introduced into the forthcoming tournament it brings about a symbolic aspect to the upcoming tournament, and how football can help to overcome the political and cultural boundaries in the era of global confrontation.

FIFA reports that the Peace Prize will be changed into an annual and permanent award, honoring those individuals or organizations that make use of the global strength of the sport to create understanding, reconciliation, and hope among the nations.