The 2026 World Cup draw in Washington D.C. was overshadowed Wednesday by a surprising and controversial presentation prior to the event, as FIFA President Gianni Infantino awarded former U.S. President Donald Trump wiht the institution’s newly created Peace Award [[1]]. The presentation, during which trump himself affixed the medal, instantly drew widespread criticism from journalists and observers, raising questions about FIFA’s political alignment ahead of the tournament co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The unusual ceremony has sparked a debate about the appropriateness of the honor and FIFA’s role on the global stage.
The FIFA World Cup draw took an unexpected turn before the highly anticipated event, as FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented former U.S. President Donald Trump with the organization’s inaugural Peace Award. In a moment that quickly drew criticism, Trump himself placed the medal around his own neck.
FIFA and Trump Draw Criticism for Unusual Ceremony
“It’s a great honor for me. A great honor to be here with Gianni, whom I’ve known for many years. This is all a great tribute to you and to football. I want to thank my family, the First Lady. We are probably looking at a tournament the world has never seen before. We have a great relationship with Canada. Coordination, friendship, mutual relations – it’s all blossoming. The world is safer,” Trump stated following the presentation.
The scene in Washington D.C. quickly sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with many questioning the appropriateness of the award and the ceremony itself. Some observers suggested the event represented a new low for FIFA.
“They even gave him a Golden Ball. A festival of embarrassment,” wrote Filip Macuda of Sport.pl.
“How embarrassing is this. The entire ceremony performed by Infantino is a circus, but the surrounding of this award takes the cake,” added Bartosz Naus, also from Sport.pl.
“An incredible display of cringe, hypocrisy, and embarrassment. From the hosts to the terrible anthem, and now this. A political spectacle. Global football under Infantino is heading in a very, very bad direction,” commented Bartosz Wieczorek of TVP Sport.
“When you thought FIFA couldn’t sink any lower…” added Mateusz Miga, another journalist with TVP Sport.
“Trump awarding himself a FIFA medal… you won’t see anything more embarrassing than that this year,” emphasized Marek Bobakowski of Wirtualna Polska.
Infantino Faces Backlash from Journalists
“If there was a ranking of the most embarrassing people in the world, Infantino would be near the top,” stated Konrad Marzec from “Super Express.”
Journalist Patryk Słowik also expressed disbelief at the scene, mocking the awarding of the peace prize to Trump.
The situation also amused Adam Romer, a journalist covering tennis. “I see that ‘the bald man from FIFA’ decided to be the first to present a ‘Vaseline’ peace award to the orange narcissist…” he noted.
While the main focus of the evening is the World Cup group stage draw – a pivotal moment for national teams vying for a spot in the tournament – the events surrounding Infantino and Trump are likely to generate significant discussion. The draw itself will determine the paths of competing nations as they pursue football’s ultimate prize.
