The award comes as FIFA is under fire for refusing to sanction Israel and Saudi Arabia for their human rights abuses.
The International Federation of Association Football, commonly known as FIFA, announced this week that it is creating its very own “peace prize” and will declare its first recipient next month in Washington, D.C.
Given that FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, is a close ally and friend to President Donald Trump, it’s likely that Trump will be the winner of the inaugural prize, especially since Trump was visibly upset after not winning the Nobel Peace Prize last month.
The new award will be presented on December 5 at the Kennedy Center, the performing arts center that Trump chairs.
The award is meant to honor those who “have helped to unite people all over the world in peace and consequently deserve a special and unique recognition,” the soccer organization said in a statement.
Infantino, who will hand out the prize personally, issued a statement insinuating that politics played a role in its creation.
“In an increasingly unsettled and divided world, it’s fundamental to recognize the outstanding contribution of those who work hard to end conflicts and bring people together in a spirit of peace,” Infantino said.
The FIFA president’s language about ending conflicts echoes Trump’s claims to have ended multiple global conflicts — claims political experts have said are highly misleading or untrue.
