FIFA is in the crosshairs of the Peace Prize awarded to Trump sports

Australia midfielder Jackson Irvine said football’s credibility as a force for good had been damaged by FIFA, accusing it of flouting its human rights policy.

In an interview with Reuters, Irvine criticized FIFA’s decision to award its first Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump during the FIFA World Cup draw last December, in recognition of what FIFA called “Trump’s efforts to promote peace and unity around the world.”

The United States, which co-hosts the tournament with Canada and Mexico, launched a military attack on Venezuela one month after the draw was made, and it also launched a war with Israel on Iran on February 28.

“As an organization, it must be said that decisions like the one we saw awarding this Peace Prize make a mockery of what they are trying to do with the Human Rights Charter, and efforts to use football as a global driving force for positive change in the world,” Irvine told Reuters.

He added, “Decisions like these seem to take us back into what football should be today, especially at the highest levels, where the game has become completely disconnected from its true essence and meaning in our societies and in the world.” Neither FIFA nor the White House provided an immediate comment.

Human rights groups and activists have widely condemned the awarding of the Peace Prize to Trump. Yesterday, Monday, the Norwegian Football Association called on FIFA to cancel the award to avoid involvement in politics.

Lise Klavens, president of the Norwegian Football Association, said on Monday that FIFA should cancel the Peace Prize it awards to avoid being drawn into political matters, suggesting that the awarding of such prizes should be left to the Nobel Institute in Oslo.

“We (the Norwegian Football Association) want to cancel (the FIFA Peace Prize). We do not believe that awarding such an award falls within FIFA’s jurisdiction. We believe that the Nobel Institute is already carrying out this task independently,” Klavens said in an online press conference.

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) published its first human rights policy in 2017. The human rights framework for the 2026 World Cup includes provisions obligating host cities to promote inclusivity, protect freedom of expression, and prevent discrimination during the tournament, which will be held from June 11 to July 19 next.

However, rights groups said FIFA needs to do more to pressure the United States to address the risks of human rights abuses against athletes, fans and workers, referring to the Trump administration’s deportation campaign and strict immigration restrictions.

Irvine, who played 80 international matches with Australia and captained the national team, plays in Germany’s St. Pauli, known for its progressive culture.