The White House responds to critics of awarding Trump the FIFA Peace Prize | sports

The White House responded to critics of Donald Trump receiving the Peace Prize presented by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), stressing that there is no one more deserving of it than the American President.

FIFA awarded Trump the first version of this award during the World Cup drawing ceremony last December, in appreciation of what he described as the American president’s efforts to “promote peace and unity throughout the world.”

But the decision sparked widespread criticism from human rights groups, especially in the period leading up to the start of the World Cup.

Australian footballer Jackson Irvine said this week that awarding the award to Trump “represents a mockery” of FIFA’s human rights policy, while the Norwegian Football Association called for the award to be withdrawn and cancelled.

Human rights organizations also considered that FIFA is required to make greater efforts to pressure the United States to address the risks of human rights violations affecting athletes, fans, and workers, pointing to the policies of mass deportation and strict restrictions on immigration pursued by the Trump administration.

In response to these criticisms, the White House confirmed that “Trump’s foreign policy, based on the principle of peace through strength,” contributed to ending eight wars in less than a year.

White House spokesman Davis Engel said in a statement, “There is no person in the world more deserving of the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize than President Trump. Anyone who believes otherwise is clearly suffering from what is known as Trump-hate syndrome.”

The United States will host the 2026 World Cup jointly with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.