FIFA told to ‘abolish’ Peace Prize given to Trump | Sports News

In December 2025, President Donald Trump grew to become the primary recipient of FIFA’s controversial Peace Prize. However, the pinnacle of Norway’s soccer federation is now pushing for him to be the final.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino offered the award, which included a medal and an outsized trophy, during the draw for the 2026 World Cup — scheduled to be held throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The newly established honor had been introduced only one month prior, shortly after Trump was handed over for the Nobel Peace Prize, an accolade he had actively sought.

The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was as a substitute awarded to Venezuelan politician María Corina Machado by the Norwegian Nobel Institute. The institute praised her “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” Meanwhile, Marco Rubio delivered a “terrorist” World Cup message to Iran subsequent to a nodding Trump.

In response to the institute’s choice, a White House spokesperson said, “The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace.” Trump did finally obtain a Peace Prize medal when Machado selected to current it to the president in January, describing it as a “Personal Symbol of Gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan People,” following the U.S. seize of now-former chief Nicolas Maduro earlier that month.

With Trump now in possession of each the FIFA and Nobel Peace Prize medals, Norwegian FA president Lise Klaveness has referred to as for the worldwide soccer governing physique’s award to be “abolished.” “We don’t think it’s part of FIFA’s mandate to give such a prize. We think we have a Nobel institute that does that job independently already,” she said Thursday, through The Athletic.

“We think it’s important for football federations, confederations and FIFA to try and avoid situations where this arm’s length distance to state leaders are challenged. These prizes will typically be very political if you don’t have really good instruments and experience to make this independent.

“To have a jury and standards is full-time work. It’s so delicate. From a useful resource angle and from a mandate angle however, most significantly, from a governance angle, I believe it ought to be prevented additionally sooner or later.”

Meanwhile, FIFA’s ties to Trump appear stronger than ever — at least when it comes to the relationship between Infantino and the U.S. president. Following the December ceremony, Infantino — who has made frequent trips to the White House during Trump’s second term and attended his inaugural Board of Peace meeting in February — took to Instagram to share: “I used to be honoured and delighted to current the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World award to United States President Donald J. Trump for his unwavering dedication to advancing peace and unity all through the world by his notable management and motion.

“Football stands for peace, unity and togetherness, and we recognize @potus’s exceptional and extraordinary actions to promote peace and unity around the world.

“I thanks President Trump for all that you just do and you’ll all the time rely on my help, and on the help of all the soccer neighborhood, to help make peace and prosperity everywhere in the world.”

Significantly, The Athletic studies that FIFA’s Peace Prize was introduced with out prior approval from the FIFA Council.