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12/05 12:03 CST FIFA gives President Donald Trump a peace prize in a departure
from its traditional focus on sport
FIFA gives President Donald Trump a peace prize in a departure from its
traditional focus on sport
By SEUNG MIN KIM
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) --- President Donald Trump was awarded the new FIFA peace prize
on Friday at the 2026 World Cup draw --- giving the spectacle to set matchups
for the quadrennial soccer tournament even more of a Trumpian flair.
Trump, who has openly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Price, had been heavily
favored to win the newly created FIFA prize. He and FIFA president Gianni
Infantino are close allies, and Infantino had made clear that he thought Trump
should have won the Nobel for his efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.
The U.S. president was awarded the prize that Infantino said was a "beautiful
medal for you that you can wear everywhere you want to go." Trump promptly
placed the medal around his neck. The certificate that Infantino handed Trump
recognizes the U.S. president for his actions to "promote peace and unity
around the world."
"This is what we want from a leader --- a leader that cares about the people,"
Infantino said about Trump, who was also presented with a gold trophy with his
name on it that depicts hands holding up the world. The FIFA leader said to
Trump "this is your prize, this is your peace prize."
Trump thanked his family, including his wife, first lady Melania Trump, and
praised the leaders of the other two host nations --- Canadian Prime Minister
Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum --- in his brief remarks,
saying the coordination with the countries has been "outstanding."
"This is truly one of the great honors of my life," Trump said.
Infantino has often spoken about soccer as a unifier for the world, but the
prize is a departure from the federation's traditional focus on sport.
The FIFA president was also on hand Thursday at the newly renamed Donald J.
Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, where Trump and the leaders of the
Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda signed a deal aimed at ending the
conflict in eastern Congo.
FIFA has described the prize as one that rewards "individuals who have taken
exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united
people across the world."
The award to Trump came during a week in which his administration has been
engaged in shuttle diplomacy to try to end the war in Ukraine, while also under
scrutiny for lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and as Trump
hardens his rhetoric against immigrants.
The Nobel this year was eventually awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader
Maria Corina Machado, who said shortly after receiving the prize that she was
dedicating it in part to Trump for "his decisive support of our cause."
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