Human Rights Watch has challenged FIFA over its newly established “Peace Prize – Football United the World” award, demanding transparency on selection criteria and nominees as the 2026 World Cup draw approaches, with speculation swirling around Donald Trump as the potential first recipient.
FIFA has been sent a letter by Human Rights Watch (HRW), a global human rights and advocacy organization, requesting more information about the criteria and process for the inaugural “FIFA Peace Prize – Football United the World” award.
According to a report from GiveMeSport, the award is set to be presented annually by FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington D.C. on Friday, December 5.
The decision to create the award reportedly “came as a shock to the 37 members of the FIFA Council,” which Infantino chairs.
HRW’s concerns were detailed in a letter sent to Infantino in mid-November, which had a deadline of November 20 for a response.
The letter explicitly asked five questions, including: “What are the formal criteria FIFA will use to evaluate nominees for the FIFA Peace Prize?” and “How will human rights considerations factor into the selection of the FIFA Peace Prize recipient(s)?”
According to the report from The Athletic (cited by GiveMeSport), HRW has “not received a response from FIFA” but the ceremony is still scheduled to go ahead.
The controversy is heightened by speculation that the first recipient might be United States President Donald Trump, a close ally of Infantino.
When asked about Trump’s chances of winning the prize, Infantino replied: “You will see.” He previously wrote on Instagram that the U.S. President “definitely deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his decisive actions” in the Israel-Gaza ceasefire.
This speculation has led to questions being asked about the “award’s authenticity.”