United States President Donald Trump said he was not present at the 2026 World Cup draw to receive a prize, but received one anyway.
Trump, who campaigned aggressively this year for the Nobel Peace Prize, received FIFA’s inaugural prize for his efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation in some of the world’s biggest flashpoints.
The former reality show host dominated the scene at the Kennedy Center in Washington this Friday, placing himself directly at the center of one of the biggest events in the sporting world, in an event full of glamor and celebrities, with the president’s unmistakable stamp.
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The United States, along with Canada and Mexico, will host the football tournament next year. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum were also in attendance, but the show was Trump’s from start to finish.
In a nod to Trump’s love of spectacle, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who served as master of ceremonies, had the three leaders stand behind colorful podiums — game-show style — to draw their teams.
After the draw, everyone posed for a selfie with Infantino.
“This will be unique, this will be stellar, this will be spectacular,” Infantino said at the start of the ceremony, referring to next year’s games.
But he could also be referring to the Kennedy Center event itself, which was held in Washington at Trump’s request.
Last month, FIFA announced that a new annual prize called the FIFA Peace Prize would be awarded in the draw to ‘reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace’.
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A video before the performance celebrated Trump for resolving the war in Gaza and trying to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The trophy, a gold-plated globe carried by uplifted hands, was considerably larger than the Nobel, which is just a simple medal.
Trump also received a medal and wore it as Infantino praised him. The president deserved the award for ‘promoting peace and unity around the world,’ he said.
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“This is truly one of the greatest honors of my life,” Trump said.
He took a moment to congratulate himself. The United States, he said, “wasn’t doing very well” before he took office, but now “we’re the hottest country in the world.”
Previously, Trump told reporters he didn’t care about the award, but noted he had “solved eight wars” in his 10 months in office.
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‘I don’t need awards. I need to save lives,’ Trump said. “I’ve saved millions and millions of lives, and that’s what I really want to do.”
The claim that Trump ended eight wars this year is widely disputed. There is still much work to be done before most of the conflicts the president claims to have ended, including the conflict between Israel and Hamas, can in fact be considered resolved.
Trump received the award the same week his administration froze immigration applications from 19 countries following last week’s shooting of two National Guard members in Washington.
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The award was also presented days after the president called Somali immigrants in the United States ‘trash,’ sparking protests at home and abroad.
Trump has frequently incorporated the symbols of the presidency into major sporting and cultural events this year. He attended the Super Bowl in February, to a mix of applause and boos from the audience, and on Sunday he plans to attend the Kennedy Center Honors, which he avoided during his first term.
The FIFA event — where 48 teams met their group stage opponents — opened with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli singing ‘Nessun Dorma’, one of Trump’s favorite songs and a staple at his campaign rallies.
Later, British pop star Robbie Williams and American Broadway singer Nicole Scherzinger sang the FIFA World Cup 2026 anthem, with highlights from previous tournaments playing on a large video screen behind them.
American sports stars Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal and Aaron Judge — none of whom are football players — also participated. Also present was Canadian hockey great Wayne Gretzky.
The World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026, with a record 104 matches across 16 host cities.
The show ended with a live performance of the song ‘YMCA’, by Village People, crowning yet another event that the president made his own.
