Trump’s Surprise Moment at the World Cup Draw
So, let me walk you through what turned out to be one of the most talked-about moments at the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, DC — a moment that suddenly shifted the spotlight from football to global politics. At the Kennedy Center, right in the middle of all the glitz, music and excitement, Donald Trump was awarded the very first FIFA Peace Prize. Yes, FIFA has created a peace prize, and Trump has been named its inaugural winner.
The award was presented by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has become one of Trump’s closest allies in the sports world. As Trump stepped onstage, he was handed a golden trophy, a medal and a certificate. Infantino told him, in front of diplomats, FIFA officials and invited guests, that this honour was being given “in recognition of exceptional and extraordinary actions to promote peace and unity around the world.” That phrasing alone sparked plenty of reactions globally.
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Trump, clearly pleased, called the moment “one of the great honours of my life.” He went on to make sweeping claims about the conflicts he believes he helped end or prevent — saying millions of lives had been saved, citing the Congo, India and Pakistan, and other hotspots. Many of those claims have been widely disputed, with critics pointing out that several of the conflicts he mentioned are still active or were never resolved by his actions. But onstage, Trump delivered his remarks with complete confidence, even adding that the world “is a safer place now.”
He then shifted to praising Infantino for record-breaking ticket sales for the upcoming World Cup, promising that the 2026 tournament — co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico — would be unlike anything the world has ever seen.
What made the moment even more political is the fact that FIFA has never awarded a prize like this before. The selection process wasn’t disclosed, though investigations have pointed to a newly formed “social responsibility” committee that will shape future awards. Critics say the move blurs FIFA’s own rules about political neutrality and ties the organisation uncomfortably close to Trump’s political orbit. Supporters, meanwhile, argue that football has a responsibility to champion peace, and that the sport’s global platform gives such gestures real weight.
After receiving the prize, Trump joined Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney to kick off the World Cup draw itself. The three leaders even posed for a selfie with Infantino — a moment that captured just how unusual this year’s ceremony felt.
And with that, the World Cup draw — usually a straightforward football event — became a stage for one of the most unexpected political headlines of the year.
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