FIFA Agrees To Reassess Trump Peace Prize as Infantino’s Presidency Crumbles

The future of FIFA’s controversial “Peace Prize” is in doubt as the governing body of world football re-evaluates the award and its credibility amid mounting scrutiny over the leadership of embattled FIFA president Gianni Infantino.Awarded for the first time last year to President Trump, the accolade is officially under formal review by a 23-member governance committee. Meeting in Zurich on Thursday, the FIFA Council instructed the Football Social Responsibility Committee to determine whether the award should be retained and under what criteria.FIFA vice president Debbie Hewitt, who also serves as president of the English Football Association, said all aspects of the Peace Prize will be scrutinized. “They will consider, first of all, how the Peace Prize came about,” she told assembled media, “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,”The brainchild of Mr. Infantino, the FIFA Peace Prize was established last November to honor “individuals who, through their unwavering commitment and their special actions, have helped to unite people all over the world in peace.” Mr. Infantino personally presented the inaugural award to Mr. Trump during the ceremonial World Cup draw in Washington D.C., citing the president’s efforts to achieve a Gaza ceasefire and conflict-resolution success. “This is your prize; this is your peace prize,” Mr. Infantino said.Mr. Trump, who fumed about not winning the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, called receiving the FIFA award, “truly one of the great honors of my life.”Less than three months later, the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran, which has resulted in a broader regional conflict.The inquiry into the Peace Prize is only one of the issues haunting Mr. Infantino. The council meeting — which includes leaders from its 211 members — featured intense discussions regarding the poor-received FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) plan. The proposal sought to create a commercial subsidiary of the World Cup and sell shares of it to a private investment firm headed by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Mr. Trump’s son-in-law.The private equity maneuver drew universal condemnation from most of FIFA membership, prompting Mr. Infantino to abandon the project. Yet, the fallout continues. A senior advisor, Carlos Cordeiro resigned and Mr. Infantino’s re-election as president — once a foregone conclusion – is now in jeopardy.Adding to the tension, the FIFA president faced questions over a report that he told Mr. Trump that he would resolve Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension in the Round of 16 game of the World Cup against Belgium. After a confirmed telephone call Mr. Trump made to Mr. Infantino, FIFA’s disciplinary committee postponed the suspension, allowing Mr. Balogun to play.Though the United States lost the match 4-1, controversy surrounding the decision has persisted. FIFA has said repeatedly, an independent disciplinary committee made the ultimate decision to reinstate Mr. Balogun, but accusations of “unequal treatment” and showing favoritism to the U.S. and Mr. Trump have dogged Mr. Infantino ever since.At Thursday’s gathering in Zurich, Mr. Infantino attempted to apologize for “the mistakes that we made in relation to the communication and consultation process related to the FIFA Forward Enterprise Project.” He also told council members to submit questions in writing that he would answer at the next meeting in December.After the meeting, German Football Association president Bernd Neuendorf said Mr. Infantino’s apology did little to sway his view of the FIFA president.“We asked a great many critical questions, but in my view, there were no satisfactory answers,” Mr. Neuendorf told reporters.Meanwhile, opposition to Mr. Infantino’s presidency is breaking into the open. UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has called for Mr. Infantino to step down and several other federation presidents have expressed a lack of confidence in his leadership.The election is scheduled for March 18, 2027, with candidates required to declare their intentions by November 1.Former Portugal international Luis Figo is mentioned among those under consideration, along with ex-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and London City Lionesses owner Michelle Kang.

FIFA Agrees To Reassess Trump Peace Prize as Infantino’s Presidency Crumbles

FIFA Agrees To Reassess Trump Peace Prize as Infantino’s Presidency Crumbles

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