For a man mostly associated with golf, President Donald Trump’s winning a peace prize from global soccer’s governing body speaks to his rising alliance with the planet’s most popular sport — and his liking of its gold trophies.
On Dec. 5, the president, who has coveted recognition for his efforts to end international conflicts, won the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The award was announced by Gianni Infantino, president of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, known as FIFA and based in Zurich, Switzerland.
Advertisement
The prize was presented to Trump during the 2026 World Cup draw, the event that reveals the groupings of national teams, including the U.S. men’s squad, that will compete in the quadrennial soccer tournament next summer in cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Trump called the award a “tremendous honor” and thanked Infantino as well as the leaders of next year’s World Cup co-host countries, Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico and Mark Carney of Canada, who were also present.
FIFA aid it “proudly bestowed” the award on Trump, who it praised as a “dynamic leader” in citing his efforts to end conflicts from the Middle East to Asia to Africa.
“We honor a dynamic leader who has engaged in diplomatic efforts that created opportunities for dialog, de-escalation and stability and who has championed the unifying power of football on the world stage,” a video stated during the 10-minute presentation.
Advertisement
“The world is a safer place now,” Trump said. “The United States one year ago was not doing too well, and now I have to say we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world, and we’re going to keep it that way.”
Here are some things to know about Trump’s mushrooming connection to soccer.
2026 World Cup: World Cup host group to award its own peace prize. Will Trump win it?
More: Donald Trump has spent life desperately wanting to become part of sports ecosystem | D’Angelo
Trump’s associations with other sports
Theodore Roosevelt boxed, Dwight Eisenhower golfed, Richard Nixon suggested plays to NFL coaches and Barack Obama filled out March Madness college basketball brackets. But, arguably, no sitting U.S. president has been linked with sports as much as Trump, the 45th and 47th president.
Advertisement
Trump has long been associated with golf. By Golfweek’s count, Trump’s business empire owns 11 clubs in the United States and another four overseas. During a call with military servicemen and women on Thanksgiving, the president said he has “legitimately” won 38 club championships.
An owner of a football franchise in a rival professional football league during the 1980s (the USFL’s New Jersey Generals), the president this year became the first serving U.S. president to attend the NFL’s Super Bowl. He also was at NASCAR’s Daytona 500 and the mixed martial arts UFC 314 in Miami.
In advance of next year’s America250 celebration, Trump has proposed the White House as the site for a UFC bout.
More: Donald Trump says he’s ‘legitimately’ won 38 club golf championships
Advertisement
More: Does Trump have a golf course in Miami? How many golf courses Trump has, Where they are
Trump’s son Barron plays soccer
In a February 2019 interview, the president told CBC News that his youngest son “actually plays a lot of soccer.” The name-drop was one of the few times Barron, then 12, came up in presidential conversations during Trump’s first term in the White House.
“He’s liking soccer,” Trump said during the interview, but did not elaborate.
According to Bleacher Report, when Barron was 11 in 2017, he played for the D.C. United U-12 soccer team. He was a midfielder wearing No. 81. D.C. United is part of Major League Soccer. A year later, according to Vanity Fair, Barron got to meet then-D.C. United player Wayne Rooney when the former Manchester United star and his wife went to a White House Christmas party.
Advertisement
In 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin gifted Trump a soccer ball from that summer’s World Cup, which was held in Russia. From the podium, Trump casually tossed the ball to first lady Melania Trump, seated in the front row.
“This is for Barron,” the U.S. president remarked.
The ball, however, came under scrutiny as it appeared to contain a transmitter chip.
Is first lady Melania Trump a soccer fan?
In that 2019 CBS interview, Trump revealed he was surprised at how interest in soccer, the world’s most watched sport, was “moving forward rapidly” in the United States.
“A lot of people, including me, thought soccer would probably never make it in this country, but it really is moving forward rapidly,” he said.
Advertisement
Slovenia, where Melania Trump was born, is among the countries where soccer is dominant. Slovenia, however, has not appeared int he World Cup since 2010, a tournament won that year by powerhouse Spain.
FIFA chief Infantino big Trump fan
U.S. President Donald Trump, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly on the pitch during the trophy presentation after the final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025.
During a talk at a Nov. 5 Miami conference, Infantino glowed when talking about Trump, with whom he feels “very lucky” to have such “a great relationship.” He said the U.S. president, during his first term in the White House, was “very, very helpful” in helping to secure the United States as a host for next year’s tournament.
“He does things. He does what he says. He says what he thinks,” Infantino said. “He says, actually, what many people think as well, but maybe don’t dare to say, and that’s why he’s so successful, right?
Advertisement
The FIFA chief then went on to say he is “surprised” by criticism of Trump.
“He was elected based on a program, based on what he said, and he’s just implementing what he said he would do,” Infantino said. “So I think we should all support what he’s doing, because I think he’s doing pretty good, absolutely right. And for FIFA, even more.”
U.S. President Donald Trump holds the golden ball trophy as Chelsea’s Cole Palmer greets FIFA president Gianni Infantino after Chelsea won against Paris St Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final, at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S., July 13, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/Pool
But those remarks also drew a rebuke from within Infantino’s FIFA community for comments said to have breached requirements that FIFA officials remain neutral and not intrude in or endorse member nation’s political platforms or leaders.
Miguel Maduro, a former chairman of FIFA’s governance committee, said Infantino crossed a line he should not have touched. Maduro said Infantino was within his rights to recognize the legitimacy of a foreign leader but not to state support of or call for backing a country’s leader or policies.
Advertisement
Trump likes FIFA’s gold trophies
FIFA president Gianni Infantino (R) hands the World Cup trophy to US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 22, 2025. Trump announced the 2026 World Cup draw will be held on December 5 at Washington’s Kennedy Center.
Back in August, Infantino appeared at the White House for meetings on the 2026 tournament.
Trump’s remake of the White House with lots of gilding was underway. And he clearly admired the golden soccer trophy Infantino brought along for the photo opp.
“Can I keep it?” Trump asked. “Seriously, it fits very well on the wall right over there. We’ll put it right below the angels.”
With a chuckle, Infantino politely said no.
But Trump did, reportedly, keep the original FIFA Club World Cup trophy. The one presented to tournament winner Chelsea at MetLife Stadium in July was a replica.
Advertisement
Trump likes being seen with soccer players
Cristiano Ronaldo attends a dinner hosted by Donald Trump for Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Nov.18, 2025.
Speaking of the FIFA Club World Cup tournament, the president attended the final at MetLife Stadium between English-side Chelsea and France’s PSG. He was present, as is customary, during the presentation of the trophy to winner Chelsea.
But rather than exit the stage as the winning squad lifts the cup in a team celebration moment, Trump stayed on stage in an awkward self-invite.
And in November, Trump hosted soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo at the Oval Office.
Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump wins FIFA peace prize, draws close to soccer and gold trophy
