What is the FIFA Peace Prize and why is Donald Trump expected to win?

Infantino hands the Jules Rimet trophy to Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Aug. 22. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

As billions of fans around the world tune in to watch the World Cup draw on Friday, they’ll also have the opportunity to watch FIFA President Gianni Infantino present a new, somewhat puzzling, award.

World soccer’s governing body announced in November that this year will see the introduction of the FIFA Peace Prize – a new annual accolade given to someone who FIFA says has taken “exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united people across the world.”

FIFA says the award will be presented on behalf of more than 5 billion soccer fans worldwide, but how the winner is chosen isn’t exactly clear.

And, perhaps most notably, U.S. President Donald Trump is widely rumored to be the recipient of the inaugural prize.

Here is everything you need to know about the new award.

When and where will it be awarded?

The new prize will be awarded after the World Cup draw takes place on December 5. The ceremony for the award will also take place in the same venue as the draw: the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

Trump now sits as the Board Chair of the Kennedy Center after an overhaul of the previous leadership group.

Will Trump win the award?

FIFA has remained tight-lipped over who will be bestowed the inaugural Peace Prize amid rumors it’s destined for the US president.

Infantino certainly seems to be a huge fan of Trump and the pair have seemingly developed a close relationship in the buildup to next year’s World Cup.

On several occasions, the two have been seen together, not least at Trump’s inauguration and at the Sharm El-Sheikh peace summit earlier this year.

Infantino was also a vocal supporter of Trump’s bid to win the Nobel Peace Prize, an award ultimately given to Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado.

A day before the award was announced, Infantino had taken to Instagram to say that Trump “definitely” deserved it.

It’s perhaps not a coincidence, then, that FIFA created its own peace prize this year and is presenting it in Washington DC, just minutes from the White House.

Trump, of course, is set to attend the World Cup draw, along with leaders from the other co-host nations, Mexico and Canada.

The current prediction from Kalshi as of 9:30 a.m. ET on Thursday says that Trump is 91 per cent likely to win the award.

Why are human rights groups concerned?

Several human rights groups are concerned that Infantino is cosying up to Trump at the expense of political neutrality.

Advocacy group FairSquare told CNN Sports that the introduction of the prize “is just the latest example of serious misgovernance at FIFA and further proof that the organisation urgently needs to be reformed.”

FairSquare director Nick McGeehan added: “Gianni Infantino’s decision to hitch FIFA to Trump’s MAGA project might make short term commercial sense for FIFA but it is obviously very harmful to the integrity and reputation of the game.”

In a news conference on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) director of global initiatives Minky Worden said her organization had reached out to FIFA to better understand the process behind how the prize is decided.

“We do not have an answer to that, which you could infer that there is no process, there are no other nominees, there was no judging,” she said.

CNN Sports has reached out to FIFA regarding the process of deciding the Peace Prize but has yet to receive a response.

What does FIFA say?

In November, FIFA responded to queries from CNN regarding Infantino’s relationship with Trump amid concerns from human rights groups that it’s become too close for comfort.

The global soccer governing body told CNN that it’s part of the role of its president to maintain good relationships with leaders of co-host nations.

“Since the awarding of the United Bid for Canada, Mexico and United States to host the FIFA World Cup 2026, the FIFA President has enjoyed a strong relationship with President Trump, along with leaders from fellow co-hosts Canada and Mexico,” FIFA said.

“This has resulted in close collaboration leading to the formation of the White House Task Force for the FIFA World Cup.”

So while all the arrows point towards Trump being awarded the Peace Prize come Friday, we don’t know for sure.

If he is to be named the winner, though, then it perhaps raises further questions about FIFA’s relationship with Trump ahead of next year’s already controversial World Cup.

By Ben Church, CNN