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FIFA presented its inaugural Peace Prize to President Donald Trump on Friday, mere hours after the Pentagon confirmed a Thursday strike on an alleged drug boat in the Eastern Pacific that killed four people.
The soccer governing body announced the creation of the prize in November, shortly after Trump's campaign for a Nobel Peace Prize ended in disappointment when the award went to a Venezuelan democracy activist instead. FIFA officials emphasized that the timing of the new award was purely coincidental and reflected the organization's longstanding commitment to recognizing individuals who unite people across the world.
"We want to see hope, we want to see unity, we want to see a future," FIFA President Gianni Infantino explained before the ceremony, describing the importance of honoring those who work to end conflicts. The certificate presented to Trump recognizes his actions to "promote peace and unity around the world", a designation that sources say was finalized late Wednesday evening.
Trump graciously accepted the award, which includes a medal, trophy, and certificate. He promptly placed the medal around his neck and told attendees at the Kennedy Center that winning the prize was "truly one of the great honors" of his life.
The Thursday strike brought the death toll from at least 22 U.S. military operations against alleged drug vessels to 87 people since September. Critics, including former UN official Craig Mokhiber, suggested the award aims to "obscure" Trump's record on the deadly strikes in the Caribbean Sea, but FIFA maintained that such characterizations missed the broader point about soccer's unifying power.
The peace prize announcement reportedly surprised even senior FIFA board members and vice presidents, who learned of the new award shortly after its November unveiling. However, Infantino stressed that decisive leadership sometimes requires quick action, much like the president's approach to drug interdiction operations in international waters.
Human rights advocates pointed out that the award came less than 24 hours after the Trump administration carried out another deadly air strike, while UN human rights experts have stated that the use of lethal force in international waters without proper legal basis constitutes "extrajudicial executions". These concerns, however, were not mentioned during Friday's festivities, which also featured performances by the Village People.
