FIFA Orders Review of Trump Peace Prize as Council Members Push Infantino to Scrap or Depoliticize the Award

ZURICH — FIFA has ordered a review of its controversial Peace Prize, awarded for the first time last year to U.S. President Donald Trump, after members of soccer's governing council pressed President Gianni Infantino to either abolish the award or strip it of its political character.

At a meeting of the FIFA Council at the organization's headquarters in Zurich on Thursday, members agreed to have a standing committee examine how the prize came about and how the decision to give it to Trump was made.

The Football Social Responsibility Committee will analyze the award and make a recommendation, with a final decision expected at the next council meeting on Dec. 16 in Doha, Qatar.

Infantino said in a FIFA news release that the committee "will be tasked to analyze it, provide a proposal," with a decision to follow at the next council meeting.

A tense meeting

The meeting, which ran for about three and a half hours according to The Associated Press, put Infantino under intense scrutiny over the prize and a series of other governance controversies.

Senior figures on the 37-member council told Infantino to scrap the award or remove its political nature, according to reports by The Guardian. Others argued that if the prize continues, it should no longer be given to politicians.

Bernd Neuendorf, president of the German Football Association and one of UEFA's representatives on the council, said the meeting did not provide satisfactory answers, the AP reported.

FIFA Vice President Debbie Hewitt, the chair of England's Football Association, also outlined questions the review must address, including the purpose of the award and the process used to select its recipient.

Options on the table

The committee could recommend abolishing the prize entirely, reforming it or keeping it with changes. One option under consideration is barring politicians from receiving the award in the future, according to The Athletic.

If the prize continues in some form, the committee is expected to propose clear rules and a transparent process for choosing winners.

How the award came about

FIFA announced the creation of the Peace Prize in November 2025, weeks after the Norwegian Nobel Committee passed over Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize he had publicly sought. The 2025 Nobel prize went instead to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who dedicated it in part to Trump.

FIFA said the new award was intended to recognize individuals who have taken exceptional actions for peace and united people around the world.

Infantino presented the inaugural prize to Trump on Dec. 5, 2025, during the draw for the 2026 World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, handing him a golden trophy, a medal and a certificate.

Trump called the award "one of the great honours of my life."

FIFA justified the choice by citing Trump's role in brokering an October 2025 ceasefire and hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas, along with his efforts to end other conflicts.

Questions about the process

The voting process behind Trump's selection has never been made public. Many signs point to Infantino as the driving force behind both the creation of the prize and the decision to give it to Trump.

Critics have argued that the award conflicted with FIFA's own statutes, which call for political neutrality and prohibit political interference in football.

Infantino has maintained close ties with Trump, attending his inauguration and opening a FIFA office in Trump Tower in New York. The 2026 World Cup was co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Criticism grew after Iran strikes

Concerns about the award intensified after Trump launched airstrikes on Iran months after receiving it, setting off an ongoing conflict.

Weeks before the strikes, Infantino defended his decision in a Sky News interview, saying Trump had been "instrumental in resolving conflicts and saving lives" and predicting that he would one day win the Nobel Peace Prize.

The scrutiny of the FIFA prize comes a week after Trump was again passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Wider pressure on Infantino

The Peace Prize review is one of several governance challenges facing Infantino. At the same meeting, he apologized for mistakes related to a proposed funding plan known as FIFA Forward Enterprise, which was withdrawn. Infantino described the plan as a proposal that was never a done deal and was intended to help FIFA invest more in its member associations.

The criticism from European football leaders and other council members signals growing frustration with Infantino's leadership and his handling of FIFA's relationship with political leaders.

The Football Social Responsibility Committee, which includes about 22 members, is expected to deliver its findings before the council meeting in Doha on Dec. 16.

The decision will determine whether the FIFA Peace Prize survives beyond its first year, and in what form, as the organization faces growing pressure to show it can remain independent from politics.

The White House did not immediately comment on the review.