Donald Trump receiving the FIFA Peace Prize was a 'breach' of the law

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FT Desk

United States President Donald Trump being awarded the inaugural FIFA 'Peace Prize' was a breach of FIFA law.

At the 2026 World Cup group stage draw last December, Trump was given the award by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

In the months after receiving the Peace Prize, he ordered military action in Venezuela and Nigeria and has also threatened similar action in Greenland, Colombia and even fellow tournament hosts, Mexico.

He also, in partnership with Israel, instigated a war in the Middle East with Iran.

Infantino was accused of creating the award simply to massage Trump's ego when it became clear the US President would not receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Not only was it questionable morally, but potentially legally, in the opinion of European Leagues President Claudius Schaefer, who also criticised FIFA's intervention during the World Cup to controversially overturn USMNT striker Folarin Balogun's suspension.

"FIFA is an association under Swiss law and in this association you have rules. The president and the board members have to perform their duties with care. This is a legal matter," Schaefer told The Athletic.

"If you take such a decision (as the peace prize), without even informing the council, that, in my view, ​is a breach of ​law. And then, during ⁠the World Cup we all know about the red card issue.

"It was a real scandal. I can't ever recall a political intervention of this kind relating to ​a sporting matter. Such acts call the integrity of the game into ​question. That's why ⁠there is no future at FIFA for Infantino. There can't be."

Norway’s football federation previously demanded that the award itself be scrapped as it is in breach of FIFA's stance on political neutrality.

NFF president Lisa Klaveness told reporters: “We want to see it abolished. We don’t think it’s part of FIFA’s mandate to give such a prize. We have a Nobel Institute that does that job independently already. This peace prize given at the [World Cup] draw in Washington was a breach of FIFA’s own statutes of political neutrality and there was a lack of legal process within FIFA.

“It’s important for FIFA’s federations, confederations and also FIFA itself to try to avoid situations where this arm’s-length distance to state leaders is challenged. And these prizes will typically be very political if you don’t have really good instruments and experiments and experience to make this independent and to have a jury and criteria. That is full-time work. It’s so sensitive.

“From a resource angle, from a mandate angle, and most importantly from a governance angle, it should be avoided in the future.”

"If you take such a decision (as the peace prize), without even informing the council, that, in my view, ​is a breach of ​law. And then, during ⁠the World Cup we all know about the red card issue.

"It was a real scandal. I can't ever recall a political intervention of this kind relating to ​a sporting matter. Such acts call the integrity of the game into ​question. That's why ⁠there is no future at FIFA for Infantino. There can't be."

Infantino is also under major pressure due to his failed FIFA Forward Enterprise proposals that would have seen private investors gain partial control of the World Cup. The plans received such a negative response that they were scrapped after just a couple of days.

Schaefer believes FIFA cannot continue with Infantino at the helm due to the lack of due process in such proposals.

"We question his suitability to continue as president," he confirmed.

"Here in Switzerland, ​we've had a close view of FIFA and it seems that the influence of the ​president has grown from year to year.

"Major decisions are taken without meaningful ⁠consultation with stakeholders who will be affected."

The FIFA President is under ​pressure from three confederations to resign, including Europe's UEFA, Asia's AFC and CONCACAF, which represents North and Central America and the Caribbean.