FIFA launches annual Peace Prize for World Cup draw with Trump a contender

FIFA will introduce a new annual award, "FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World," with U.S. President Donald Trump among the contenders, during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., on Friday (December 5).

The governing body of football said the award was established to "reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace."

U.S. President Donald Trump announced in August that the World Cup draw will take place during the draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where the 48 teams competing in the tournament will learn their group-stage opponents.

Trump aggressively campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize this year, and the White House criticised the committee’s decision to award it to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado last month.

The World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, with a record 104 matches in 16 host cities.