Donald Trump is likely to become the only political leader to receive the FIFA peace prize, after Gianni Infantino was urged at Thursday’s FIFA council meeting to make major changes or abandon the controversial prize.
Infantino announced that the peace prize had been presented to the social responsibility committee at the start of Thursday’s meeting. Council members returned to the subject later in a series of questions on possible conflicts of interest at Fifa.
There is a strong view among Council members that the peace prize, in its current form, is tainted by an association with Trump, with some fearing that the US president could object to it and create a diplomatic storm if he does not like the identity of its next recipient.
Fifa’s 22-person social responsibility committee is dominated by representatives from countries loyal to Infantino. Abolition could therefore be avoided on the grounds that it would represent a humiliation for the FIFA president, even though it is widely recognized that change is necessary.
A council member told the Guardian that the most likely outcome discussed would be the reinvention of the peace prize as a reward for a person in football who has done exceptional work promoting social harmony and responsibility, with a provision stating that it cannot be awarded to a politician.
Article two of FIFA’s statutes prohibits any political or governmental interference in football, one of many reasons why honoring Trump last year sparked such a backlash from many members.
FIFA announced the creation of its Peace Prize last November, saying it would “reward individuals who have undertaken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and, in doing so, united people around the world.”
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Trump received the award at the men’s World Cup draw in Washington last December, with Infantino presenting the US president with a gold trophy, medal and certificate, but the process behind his selection was never made public.
The social responsibility committee should, as part of its review, set strict parameters for any surviving awards and provide details of a nomination and selection procedure.
Gn sports
