FIFA honors Trump for brokering Israel’s lifesaving ceasefire, isolating Hamas and uniting global opinion on peace.
US President Donald Trump was honored on Friday with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize during the 2026 World Cup draw—an award created to recognize individuals whose actions tangibly advance global peace. Trump, who brokered the landmark ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and the Hamas terror organization, had long been viewed as the frontrunner.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino openly acknowledged Trump’s influence in stabilizing the Gaza conflict, previously stating the president deserved a Nobel Peace Prize for forcing Hamas into a ceasefire and saving Israeli civilian lives. As he presented the honor, Infantino declared, “This is your prize, this is your peace prize.”
Upon arriving at the Kennedy Center, Trump told reporters he had no certainty he would receive the award, saying: “I don’t need prizes. I just want to save lives.” FIFA described the honor as a tribute to individuals who “take exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace, uniting people across the world.”
Trump’s role in the Israel–Hamas ceasefire stands in stark contrast to the international system’s years of paralysis in the face of Hamas’ terrorist brutality. His administration’s diplomacy secured the release of Israeli hostages while tightening the pressure on Hamas and exposing the organization’s reliance on regional Arab support networks.
Trump had hoped the success of the ceasefire initiative would secure him the Nobel Peace Prize. Instead, the award went to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado—who publicly dedicated part of her win to Trump, thanking him for his decisive support in the struggle for freedom in her own country.
The FIFA honor, though outside traditional political frameworks, underscores an undeniable reality:
Trump’s actions reshaped the Middle East, protected Israeli lives, and demonstrated that confronting terrorism—not appeasing it—is the only path to sustainable peace.
