Donald Trump finally has a peace prize

In a ceremony drenched in theatrical grandeur in the American capital, US President Donald Trump finally got his peace prize — courtesy not of Oslo, but of FIFA, which appears to have expanded its mandate from football to global conflict resolution.

For a leader who has spent years openly nudging, hinting, and outright lobbying for a Nobel Peace Prize, this FIFA-branded consolation trophy arrived with impeccable timing.

With stadium lights glowing like a Hollywood premiere, Gianni Infantino stepped forward at the World Cup draw and handed Trump a medal and certificate, proclaiming, “This is your prize, this is your peace prize,” as though announcing the winner of a talent show rather than a statesman’s accolade.

Infantino, reading from a citation that sounded suspiciously like a spiritual hymn for world harmony, declared the honour was bestowed “on behalf of billions of football-loving souls” upon a leader whose devotion to peace “rises above the ordinary”. The certificate dutifully affirmed FIFA’s grand conclusion: that Trump’s actions had “promoted peace and unity around the world.”

He then proceeded to list a whirlwind tour of global agreements — Abraham Accords here, Gaza pact there, a Cambodia–Thailand handshake in Kuala Lumpur, and a Rwanda–DRC agreement in Washington — all credited to a man best known for his enthusiasm for decisive action.

“This,” Infantino said reverently, “is what we aspire to see in a leader”.
And with that, Trump’s peace-prize moment finally arrived — FIFA-certified, crowd-approved, and perhaps close enough to Oslo for now.

Trump, visibly pleased, proclaimed it “one of the greatest honours of my life”, swiftly adding that these agreements had prevented mass bloodshed. “We saved millions and millions of lives,” he said, sweeping through global hotspots from Congo to India and Pakistan. According to him, the world is now a safer place — peace prize proof in hand.

He took a moment to praise Infantino — “Johnny”, in Trumpian shorthand — for helping football become a worldwide juggernaut ahead of the 2026 World Cup. He also showered thanks on his family and the neighbouring co-hosts, Canada and Mexico.

Earlier, when pressed on how a peace award aligned with his vow to “strike Venezuela”, Trump breezily responded that he had already settled eight wars, with a ninth on the horizon, adding: “I don’t need prizes — I need to save lives.”

Yet despite claiming he doesn’t need them, Trump now has one — the FIFA Peace Prize, a long-awaited peace accolade, if not the one he’s spent years angling for.

And as banners fluttered and the global footballing world looked on, FIFA declared that saving lives was exactly the legacy it was choosing to celebrate.

With IANS inputs