FIFA defends Trump peace prize amid Greenland threats, boycott talk

FIFA Defends Trump Peace Prize Amid Greenland Threats

FIFA has issued a statement backing its decision to award US President Donald Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, despite mounting criticism following his military intervention in Venezuela and escalating threats toward European allies over Greenland.

“FIFA strongly supports its annual peace prize, an award to recognise exceptional actions for peace and unity,” a FIFA spokesperson told The Guardian on Sunday. “FIFA has strong relations with President Trump, along with leaders from fellow co-hosts Canada and Mexico. This has resulted in good working relationships leading to, for example, in the US, the formation of the White House Task Force for the FIFA World Cup.”sportbible

European Tensions and World Cup Boycott Talk

The controversy has intensified as Trump’s threats against Greenland have triggered a transatlantic crisis. The president announced on Saturday that eight European nations—Denmark, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands—would face 10 percent tariffs beginning February 1, escalating to 25 percent by June 1 if no deal is reached for the US to acquire the Danish territory.nytimes

In Germany, voices have emerged suggesting the country could boycott the 2026 World Cup in response. Jürgen Hardt, foreign policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group and a close ally of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, raised the possibility in comments to the German newspaper BILD.rbc

“Dropping out of the tournament would, however, only be considered as a last resort in order to get Trump to see sense on the Greenland issue,” Hardt said, noting Trump has made clear “how important the World Cup is to him”.as

Award Under Scrutiny

FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented Trump with the golden trophy, medal, and certificate at the World Cup draw ceremony in Washington on December 5, 2025. During his acceptance speech, Trump claimed he had saved “tens of millions of lives” through interventions and “stopped wars happening just before they started”.apnews

Since receiving the prize, Trump’s administration has faced criticism for military action in Venezuela, where US forces captured President Nicolás Maduro on January 2. The president has also threatened military action against Iran, Mexico, Colombia, and suggested the US could use force to acquire Greenland.sportbible

Human rights organization FairSquare filed a formal complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee shortly after the award ceremony, arguing that Infantino violated the organization’s political neutrality rules. The Guardian reports that there is a growing sense of embarrassment among FIFA officials over the decision.bbc

In its statement, FIFA notably cited Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, giving her medal to Trump last week—though the Nobel Foundation clarified that prizes cannot be transferred and remain “inseparably linked” to the original recipient.nytimes