WASHINGTON; US President Donald Trump was awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize on Friday for what federation President Gianni Infantino said were his “extraordinary” contributions to global harmony.
Infantino lauded Trump for “what you have obtained in your way. But you obtained it in an incredible way,” saying the new award was meant to honor an “individual who exemplifies an unwavering commitment to advancing peace and unity throughout the world through their notable leadership and action.”
“FIFA, the Federation International de Football Association, awards the 2025 FIFA Peace Prize, football unites the world, to Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, in recognition of his exceptional and extraordinary actions to promote peace and unity around the world,” Infantino said during FIFA’s World Cup draw in Washington.
The ceremony marks the first time the federation has bestowed the honor on an individual. It comes as Trump continues to push for the Nobel Committee to award him with its prestigious peace prize for his efforts to end conflicts worldwide.
“This is truly one of the great honors of my life,” said Trump. “So many different wars that we’re able to end, in some cases, a little bit before they started, just right before they started.”
Trump has so far brokered a ceasefire to halt Israel’s war on the besieged Gaza Strip, an end to hostilities between India and Pakistan, and a sometimes tenuous agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, as well as peace deals between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Armenia and Azerbaijan.
He also intervened on the side of Israel in June, ending a 12-day war with Iran that saw Tehran launch sweeping missile and drone strikes on Israel in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Iranian military and nuclear facilities. Trump has maintained that his strikes “decimated” Iran’s nuclear program.
The US president further tamped down tensions between Serbia and Kosovo, and Egypt and Ethiopia.
(AA)
