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Fifa will award a “peace prize” next month in Washington, the latest foray into geopolitics by football’s global governing body under its president Gianni Infantino, a close ally of Donald Trump.
The new accolade will be awarded to individuals who “through their unwavering commitment and their special actions, have helped to unite people all over the world in peace and consequently deserve a special and unique recognition”, Fifa said on Wednesday.
The “Fifa peace prize” will be presented by Infantino on December 5 as part of the World Cup draw at the John F Kennedy Center, fuelling speculation that the US president may become its first recipient. Trump appointed himself chair of the arts institution and ousted its board in February.
“In an increasingly unsettled and divided world, it’s fundamental to recognise the outstanding contribution of those who work hard to end conflicts and bring people together in a spirit of peace,” Infantino said on Wednesday.
Infantino has fostered close ties to Trump in the run-up to next year’s men’s World Cup, which is being hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. He attended Trump’s inauguration in January and has made several visits to the Oval Office.
Meanwhile, Trump has made regular appearances at Fifa events, including handing out the trophy on the pitch after the final of last summer’s Club World Cup.
The new Fifa award comes a month after the Nobel Committee awarded its annual peace prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, despite Trump’s repeated claims that he deserved to win for his efforts at ending conflicts.
It also follows the Trump-brokered peace deal to end the war in Gaza. Infantino was among the delegates who appeared alongside Trump and a host of other world leaders at the signing of the agreement in Egypt last month. He also said Trump “definitely deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his decisive actions” in a post on Instagram.
Campaign group FairSquare said Infantino’s presence at the peace summit was “highly significant and deeply troubling”, and showed he had “abandoned all pretence of the political neutrality that Fifa espouses and is statutorily committed to uphold”.
Trump and Infantino were both due to speak on stage on Wednesday at the American Business Forum in Miami, an event hosted by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The Gulf kingdom was named as host of the 2034 World Cup late last year.
