World’s football governing body, FIFA, will present its first-ever FIFA Peace Prize at the 2026 World Cup draw next month, introducing a new annual award designed to honour those who use football to bridge divides.
FIFA announced the creation of the “FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World,” stating it will “reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace.”
“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,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
The inaugural award ceremony will be part of the World Cup draw on December 5th at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The event will set the stage for the first 48-team World Cup, to be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico in 2026.
The announcement comes amid a notable political context. During a previous meeting, Infantino told US President Donald Trump, “We are uniting the world, Mr President, uniting the world, here in America.”
Trump had actively lobbied for the Nobel Peace Prize this year, and the White House had publicly criticised the Nobel Committee’s recent decision to award it to someone else.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, featuring a record 104 matches across 16 host cities.
