Trump receives first FIFA Peace Prize during World Cup draw, claims he ‘saved millions’

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has been named the first-ever recipient of the FIFA Peace Prize. He accepted the honor on Friday, December 5, during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, DC.

The president used the platform to declare that "the world is a safer place now" thanks to his administration's foreign policy.

Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president and a close ally of the President, presented the award onstage at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Trump calls peace prize ‘one of the great honors of my life’

Infantino stated that Trump was selected "in recognition of his exceptional and extraordinary actions to promote peace and unity around the world."

"This is your prize, this is your peace prize," Infantino told Trump, handing him a trophy, a certificate, and a medal. "There is also a beautiful medal for you that you can wear everywhere you want to go."

Accepting the award, the president described it as "one of the great honors of my life" before launching into a defense of his global record.

He claimed credit for preventing mass casualties in various conflict zones.

"Saved millions and millions of lives - the Congo is an example, over 10 million people killed, and it was heading for another 10 million very quickly," Trump asserted.

He also referenced tensions in South Asia, stating, "India and Pakistan, so many different wars we were able to end, in some cases just before they started."

Trump praised Infantino for "setting new records on ticket sales" for the upcoming tournament, predicting the 2026 World Cup would be an event "the likes of which maybe the world has never seen."

"The world is a safer place now... we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world," he concluded.

Critics dispute Trump's peacemaker narrative

Despite the celebratory atmosphere, the president's claims of being a peacemaker faced significant scrutiny.

Critics pointed to the reportedly ongoing conflict in Gaza and the allegedly recent US involvement in airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites as evidence that global stability remained elusive.

Furthermore, the president’s claims regarding Congo and Ethiopia have been met with skepticism by international observers, who noted that clashes continued in several regions.

Award highlights growing ties between Trump and FIFA

The award highlighted the increasingly close relationship between the global soccer governing body and Trump's inner circle ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.

FIFA recently appointed the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, to the board of a $100 million education initiative funded by tournament revenues.

Infantino and Trump have appeared together frequently, with the FIFA chief arguing that football can "invest in happiness" even if it cannot solve all conflicts.

While Republicans have cheered the recognition, framing it as a precursor to a potential Nobel Peace Prize, opponents viewed the award as a political maneuver.

The 2026 tournament is set to begin on June 11, featuring a record 104 matches across 16 host cities.