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WASHINGTON — It wasn’t the one he had in mind but Donald Trump did finally take home a peace prize.
Trump was the winner of the inaugural "FIFA Peace Prize," which the soccer organization awarded during its World Cup draw in Washington.
"This is truly one of the great honors of my life," Trump said as he accepted the award.
The award winner was hardly a surprise. Trump has been the assumed victor since FIFA announced the creation of the prize a month ago that it said would "reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace."
FIFA announced the award weeks after the Norwegian Nobel Committee passed Trump over for its prestigious peace prize in October. Trump had been angling to win the award, which he said again this week that he deserved for ending a variety of conflicts.
He had to settle for the newly-invented prize given out by soccer’s governing body, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino personally handing the trophy and a certificate to Trump, who also received a medal, during the draw at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
"You definitely deserve the first FIFA peace prize for your action, for what you have obtained – in your way – but you obtained it in an incredible way," Infantino said. "And you can always count, Mr. President, on my support, on the support of the entire football community, or soccer community to help you make peace and make the world prosper."
In the run-up to next summer’s World Cup, the FIFA boss has appeared with Trump on at least half a dozen occasions. He attended Trump’s inauguration in January and has visited Washington multiple times since.
He sat in the front row of a peace agreement signing between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo that Trump held in Washington on the eve of the draw.
"You’ve done a fantastic job. A great leader in sports," Trump said of Infantino after he spotted him in the crowd.
Trump sat in a box with Infantino for the Club World Cup final this summer and the American president stood on stage in the middle of trophy celebrations, much to the bewilderment of players. Trump said that FIFA had actually gifted him the tournament’s original trophy. It made a new one before the match that was won by Chelsea.
In August, Trump hosted Infantino in the Oval Office to announce the Kennedy Center as the host of the World Cup draw. The FIFA president stood by as Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country has been banned from the soccer competition since it invaded Ukraine, could attend the 2026 World Cup, which has games in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Infantino also attended the Gaza ceasefire signing ceremony that Trump held in October. He said at the event that was held in Egypt that Trump "has broken down barriers and has built bridges" toward world peace.
"This is what we want from a leader. A leader that cares about the people. We want to live in a safe world, in a safe environment. We want to unite, that's what we do here today, that's what we do at the World Cup," Infantino said at the World Cup draw.
The FIFA boss appeared in the Oval Office again in November to unveil an expedited visa process for World Cup ticket holders.
Next year’s games will be held in 16 cities across North America, with the first one taking place on June 11, 2026. The final game will be played in the U.S. on July 19. They are expected to be the widest attended games in World Cup history, with an unprecedented 48 teams playing.
Appearing on the red carpet before the event Trump says the U.S. is "ready to host" and so is FIFA. He said Infantino has done a "fantastic job" and congratulated FIFA on its World Cup ticket sales. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also attended the Washington, D.C draw.
Host country presidents have typically been involved in the games. Putin participated in the 2018 World Cup draw in Moscow. Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, was on stage in Doha in 2022.
Infantino has acknowledged his budding relationship with Trump, saying he considers the president a "close friend."
"He’s very helpful in everything that we do for the World Cup," Infantino said of Trump during a business forum in Miami last month. "He’s really engaged. He has such incredible energy. He does what he says, and says what he thinks. That’s why he’s so successful."
Infantino is not alone in the global soccer world as an admirer of the American president, with Trump recently welcoming Cristiano Ronaldo to the White House for a dinner honoring the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr FC.
"He is one of the guys who can help to change the world," Ronaldo said of Trump.
Infantino was spotted in a group selfie that Ronaldo posted after the Nov. 18 dinner.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump wins inaugural FIFA peace prize
Reporting by Francesca Chambers and Jesse Yomtov, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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