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FIFA's Football Social Responsibility Committee will review the future of the FIFA Peace Prize, first awarded to Donald Trump, following council demands to scrap or depoliticize the award.
FIFA’s Football Social Responsibility Committee will review the future of the FIFA Peace Prize, an award first presented to U.S. President Donald Trump in December 2025. The review follows a meeting of the FIFA Council in Zurich on October 15, 2026, where council members reportedly demanded the award be abolished or depoliticized.
According to The Guardian, several council members demanded the award be abolished, while others called for it to be depoliticized. The committee is expected to make a recommendation before the next council meeting in Doha on December 16, 2026. The Guardian reports that a strong view among council members is that the prize is "tainted by association with Trump," with concerns that the U.S. president could object to future recipients and create a diplomatic incident.
One council member told The Guardian that the most likely outcome discussed is reinventing the prize as an award for an individual within football who has promoted social harmony, with a provision stating it cannot be given to a politician. Article two of FIFA’s statutes prohibits political or governmental interference in football, a rule cited by critics as a reason for the backlash against honoring Trump.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that the peace prize had been handed to the social responsibility committee. "It was decided that the Football Social Responsibility Committee will be tasked to analyze it, provide a proposal, and also, there, a decision will be taken at the next FIFA Council meeting," Infantino said, as quoted by USA Today.
FIFA Vice President Debbie Hewitt stated that the committee would examine the origins and execution of the award. "They will consider, first of all, how the Peace Prize came about, whether it should have come about, whether it should have been awarded in the way that it was, who made that decision and whether or not it should be taken out or whether it should be reformed," Hewitt said, as quoted by the BBC.
FIFA announced the creation of the peace prize in November 2025, stating it would "reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united people across the world." The award was presented to Trump at the men’s World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., in December 2025. FIFA justified the selection by stating Trump had "played a pivotal role in establishing a ceasefire and promoting peace between Israel and Palestine" and had "actively sought to end other conflicts."
The decision drew widespread scrutiny. The Guardian reports that the process behind Trump’s selection has never been made public. USA Today notes that multiple reports said Infantino did not inform the FIFA Council before creating the prize. The human rights organization FairSquare requested that FIFA’s Ethics Committee investigate whether Infantino breached political impartiality rules, and 50 members of the European Parliament called for an investigation.
The review highlights ongoing tensions within FIFA regarding political neutrality and governance. The potential abolition or restructuring of the prize reflects the council's desire to distance the organization from political controversies, particularly those involving high-profile political figures. The outcome of the December meeting will determine whether the award continues in its current form, is reformed to exclude politicians, or is scrapped entirely.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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