On Dec. 5, 2025, during the 2026 men’s World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., U.S. President Donald Trump received an unusual first-time award from FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The world’s governing soccer body announced the FIFA Peace Prize, which is to be given to “individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace.”
Many online questioned whether Infantino was allowed to give Trump such an award, and some observers saw the awarding of the prize as a way for the football federation to cozy up to Trump to ensure a smooth 2026 World Cup. Snopes readers asked us whether FIFA could remove Infantino as president as a result, or whether the FIFA board was investigating Infantino for awarding a prize to Trump “without permission.” A Facebook post claimed “FIFA could remove Gianni Infantino as FIFA President for giving Donald Trump a made-up ‘FIFA Peace Prize’ on live TV.”
(Facebook user “football history”)
While Trump did receive this award from FIFA, we have no evidence that FIFA was conducting an investigation as a result, or that Infantino was being removed. However, numerous reports say the FIFA Peace Prize announcement caught senior FIFA officials off-guard. Infantino and Trump have been friendly in public for years, with Infantino regularly praising Trump and his policies, despite FIFA’s code of ethics requiring political neutrality.
Snopes reached out to FIFA to learn more about the process behind creating the award, Trump’s selection, whether it was in line with FIFA’s code of ethics and whether Infantino’s conduct would result in his removal. We will update this post if we learn more.
Infantino has not faced censure from FIFA for his actions thus far, though a nonprofit group has filed an official complaint against him with the soccer body, requesting an investigation into the selection process for the peace prize.
Per FIFA’s code of ethics under the article titled “Duty of neutrality” (Page 16) officials are expected to maintain political neutrality:
In dealings with government institutions, national and international organisations, associations and groupings, persons bound by this Code shall, in addition to observing the basic rules of article 14, remain politically neutral, in accordance with the principles and objectives of FIFA, the confederations, associations, leagues and clubs, and generally act in a manner compatible with their function and integrity.
Violation of the above rules will result in sanctions “with an appropriate fine of at least CHF 10,000 [more than $12,000] as well as a ban on taking part in any football-related activity for a maximum of two years.”
The world soccer body announced the creation of the prize in November, noting that the inaugural award would be given on Dec. 5. It did not name the winner at that time.
In the official statement announcing the award, Infantino said, “In an increasingly unsettled and divided world, it’s fundamental to recognise the outstanding contribution of those who work hard to end conflicts and bring people together in a spirit of peace.” Many people speculated the award was intended for Trump and created in response to him not winning the Nobel Peace Prize, for which he had openly lobbied.
However, per reporting from The Associated Press, other FIFA officials were surprised by the announcement and reportedly learned about it through the media. No officials came forward to answer the media’s questions about the award. Three anonymous sources told Politico that Infantino bypassed the FIFA Council to create and award the prize to Trump, with vice presidents who were given advance notice about the award saying they were told only after decisions were made.
In the past, FIFA has imposed penalties and suspensions on various national football bodies over reported government involvement in their affairs.
FairSquare, an advocacy group focused on labor migration rights, political repression and sports, submitted a letter to FIFA’s Ethics Committee in December 2025 complaining about Infantino’s ties to Trump and the peace prize process. The letter, reviewed by The New York Times, called for an investigation into the award and criticized Infantino for statements in which he apparently endorsed Trump’s agenda:
Mr Infantino’s engagement with President Trump must be underpinned by and in conformity with his duty of neutrality, which requires that he be non-partisan and impartial on matters of US domestic and foreign policy, unless speaking about issues that invoke FIFA’s own legal or human rights responsibilities. In offering clear support for President Trump’s political agenda at home and abroad, Mr Infantino has breached that duty, and done so in a way that poses a clear threat to the integrity and reputation of football and of FIFA itself.
[…]
The award of a prize of this nature to a sitting political leader is in and of itself a clear breach of FIFA’s duty of neutrality.
Human Rights Watch, an international human rights organization, wrote to Infantino on Nov. 11 requesting more details about the peace prize, but received no response:
We would be grateful to learn:
1. What are the formal criteria FIFA will use to evaluate nominees for the FIFA Peace Prize?
2. Will FIFA publish these criteria before the December 5 award ceremony?
3. How will FIFA identify and receive nominations for the prize? Can you share a list of the nominees?
4. Who will serve as judges or decision-makers in selecting the recipient, and what are their qualifications?
5. We note that FIFA adopted the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and published a Human Rights Policy which guides FIFA’s operations. How will human rights considerations factor into the selection of the FIFA Peace Prize recipient(s)?
Infantino has been close to Trump since his first presidential term. He attended the 2025 presidential inauguration and even took the Club World Cup trophy to the White House for Trump to display. Trump invited Infantino to Egypt in October 2025 to mark the Gaza ceasefire deal, and Infantino toured the Persian Gulf with Trump in May 2025.
In a January 2025 Instagram post at a pre-inauguration Trump rally, Infantino said:
What an incredible honour and privilege it is for FIFA and me, as FIFA President, to be acknowledged by President Donald J. Trump during his victory rally speech in Washington DC. Mr Trump, your public show of support, as the new President of the United States, for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in particular, is a moment of great respect for FIFA and also the continued growth of our game around the world. I thank you wholeheartedly and assure you that together we will ensure America welcomes the World and Football Unites the World.
Infantino also said their friendship is “absolutely crucial” toward the success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Trump administration has set up a task force to ensure the smooth processing of visas for ticket-holders.
Miguel Maduro, a former FIFA head of governance, told The New York Times that Infantino’s support and praise of Trump went too far: “That is clearly, in my view, a violation of the duty of political neutrality imposed by FIFA’s code of ethics.”
Infantino has been subject to other FIFA investigations but was cleared of corruption allegations by the soccer body’s independent ethics committee in 2020.
Though Infantino has been close to Trump for years and publicly praised him, he has not been removed from his position thus far. Until FIFA confirms any action it may be taking, we are unable to determine whether Infantino will face censure for his apparent disregard for the neutrality rule.
Snopes has previously covered the false claim that Infantino criticized Trump for taking the Club World Cup trophy, as well as a correctly attributed quote in which Trump said he kept the Club World Cup trophy for himself.
Sources
Cai, Sophia. ” Gianni Infantino’s Trump Problem.” Politico, 5 Dec. 2025, https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/05/the-world-games-washington-problem-00677204. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
“Code of Ethics.” FIFA, 2023, https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/4f048486c1f7293c/original/FIFA-Code-of-Ethics-2023.pdf. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
Crafton, Adam. “Gianni Infantino Accused of Breaching FIFA’s Ethics Codes in Relation to President Trump Comments.” The New York Times, 9 Dec. 2025. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6873068/2025/12/09/fifa-infantino-trump-peace-prize-complaint/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
Davis, Callum. “FIFA President Gianni Infantino Attends Donald Trump’s Inauguration in Washington D.C.” The New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6075661/2025/01/20/fifa-president-trump-inauguration/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
“FIFA Ethics Committee Clears Infantino.” Dw.Com, Aug. 19, 2020. https://www.dw.com/en/fifa-ethics-committee-clears-gianni-infantino/a-54627596. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
“FIFA Gives Trump a Peace Prize in a Departure from Its Traditional Focus on Sport.” AP News, 5 Dec. 2025, https://apnews.com/article/trump-world-cup-fifa-peace-prize-e14f95b8adaa197c869cad407b6ef604. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
FIFA Introduces the FIFA Peace Prize – an Award to Recognise Exceptional Actions for Peace and Unity. https://inside.fifa.com/organisation/media-releases/origin1904-p.cxm.fifa.com/peace-prize-award-football-unites-the-world-infantino. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
“FIFA Suspends Zimbabwe, Kenya for Government Interference.” Voice of America, 25 Feb. 2022, https://www.voanews.com/a/fifa-suspends-zimbabwe-kenya-for-government-interference/6459189.html. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
Ibrahim, Nur. “Don’t Fall for Video of FIFA President Criticizing Trump for Taking Club World Cup Trophy.” Snopes, 17 July 2025, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/trump-fifa-president-trophy/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
Liew, Jonathan. “‘He Massages Trump’s Basest Instincts’: Why Is Fifa’s Gianni Infantino Cosying up to the US President?” The Guardian, 30 Nov. 2025. Football. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/nov/30/he-massages-trumps-basest-instincts-why-is-fifas-gianni-infantino-cosying-up-to-the-us-president. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
Panja, Tariq. “FIFA Will Award Its Own Peace Prize Next Month in Washington.” The New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/world/europe/fifa-peace-prize-award.html. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
Panja, Tariq, and Luke Broadwater. “As Trump Covets Nobel Peace Prize, FIFA Cozies Up to Him With Its Own Award.” The New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/us/politics/trump-fifa-peace-prize-world-cup-infantino.html. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
Rascouët-Paz, Anna. “Trump Said He Kept Original 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Trophy?” Snopes, 15 July 2025, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/did-trump-keep-the-fifa-trophy. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
“What to Know about FIFA’s New Peace Prize and Who Might Receive It.” AP News, 6 Nov. 2025, https://apnews.com/article/fifa-peace-prize-infantino-trump-c339695d2cca0f8acd92ff0264ff5ea9. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
“World Cup 2026: FIFA Needs to Act on Human Rights.” Human Rights Watch. 3 Dec. 2025, https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/12/03/world-cup-2026-fifa-needs-to-act-on-human-rights. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.
