U.S. President Donald Trump has been invited to address the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw ceremony this Friday, prior to being awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.
According to plans finalized in recent weeks, the U.S. President will be allocated speaking time during the nearly two-hour event to be held at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will also attend the draw. However, all attention will undoubtedly be on Trump – FIFA has scheduled him to speak for a few minutes, but the organization is unlikely to impose strict time limits on the U.S. President’s address.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle stated:
“Under President Trump’s historic leadership, the United States has never been more respected and successful. America is currently the hottest country in the world, making us the perfect nation to host one of the greatest sporting events in history – the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
FIFA announced that the annual award will be presented for the first time on Friday, December 5, by FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C.
They noted that the prize will be awarded to individuals “who have contributed to promoting peace and unity among peoples around the world and thus deserve special recognition.”
The announcement of the award coincides with the date Infantino was originally scheduled to speak at a U.S. business forum in Miami, where U.S. President Donald Trump also addressed an audience at the Kaseya Center on the same day.
Following Trump’s expression of desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize (which was ultimately awarded to Venezuelan democratic advocate María Corina Machado), FIFA subsequently announced it would present its own peace prize at Friday’s draw. It is widely expected that the award will go to the U.S. President, though official confirmation is still pending.
Multiple FIFA sources, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, stated that Trump will be the recipient.
Earlier this week, FIFA announced that the popular band Village People – known for performing Trump’s “anthem” Y.M.C.A. – will perform at the World Cup draw ceremony.
The song has been a staple at Trump’s “Make America Great Again” rallies during his re-election campaign and fundraising events at Mar-a-Lago, with Trump himself often dancing as supporters sing along.
Human Rights Watch has sent a letter to FIFA requesting information on the processes and criteria adopted by the organization prior to awarding the prize.
The letter, dated November 11 and addressed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, requested a response by November 20. Human Rights Watch stated that they have not received any reply.
The letter raised the following questions:
What formal criteria will FIFA use to evaluate nominees for the FIFA Peace Prize?
Will FIFA publish these criteria prior to the award ceremony on December 5?
How will FIFA identify and receive nominations for the award? Can a list of nominees be provided?
Who will serve as judges or decision-makers to select the recipient(s)? What are their qualifications?
We note that FIFA has adopted the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and has issued a human rights policy governing FIFA’s operations. How will human rights considerations be integrated into the selection of FIFA Peace Prize recipients?
