President Donald Trump just added another award to his growing list. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Dec. 5, Trump was presented with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The moment, meant to mark a symbolic gesture ahead of the global tournament, is now causing controversy within international soccer’s top governing body, according to the Associated Press.
According to a formal complaint filed by the human rights group FairSquare, Infantino’s decision to hand Trump the prize may have broken FIFA’s rules on political neutrality.
“The award of a prize of this nature to a sitting political leader is in and of itself a clear breach of FIFA’s duty of neutrality,” FairSquare stated in an eight-page filing.
The group has asked FIFA’s ethics investigators to look into what it calls a potential abuse of power.
Infantino had previously voiced support for Trump’s policies and even suggested earlier this year that Trump should win the Nobel Peace Prize.
The FIFA leader’s close ties with the U.S. government come as FIFA prepares to earn more than $10 billion from the 2026 tournament, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Airbus Concedes Order Race to Boeing
The controversy isn’t just about soccer. At the same time that Trump was receiving FIFA’s new award, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury publicly admitted that Boeing would likely win the 2025 aircraft order race. That would end Airbus’s five-year streak at the top, according to Reuters.
In the aviation world, the “order race” refers to the annual competition between major aircraft makers like Airbus and Boeing to secure the highest number of new plane orders from airlines.
“It is true that they have been helped by the American president as part of tariff negotiations with several countries, where plane orders became part of the resolution of trade disputes,” Faury told France Inter radio.
Between January and November, Boeing had 908 net orders after cancellations, far ahead of Airbus’s 700.
Analysts say that several airlines, particularly in Asia, placed orders with Boeing this year as a way to ease trade tensions with the United States.
Some timed their announcements to align with diplomatic goals. While Boeing’s 787 has been selling well on its own, the geopolitical backdrop has clearly played a role.
Faury also emphasized that even if Airbus trails in orders this year, it still leads in deliveries and maintains a much larger backlog.
“The fact that we have been ahead on orders for five years means our order backlog is much higher than that of our main competitor,” he said.
Trump’s Role in Boeing’s Rise
Trump also spoke about Boeing’s recent success during a meeting with business leaders, according to Reuters.
He said:
“Boeing gave me the award for the greatest salesman in the history of Boeing, which was a nice little award.”
He added, “I think I have sold 1,000 Boeing planes … Now all they have to do is make them … but they will.”
Trump’s influence on trade and manufacturing has long been a talking point, but the combination of FIFA’s praise and Boeing’s sales surge paints a picture of a president actively shaping global business deals and public recognition.
Trump, for his part, has often boasted about his negotiating skills and ability to bring business to American companies.
With the Airbus CEO essentially crediting him for Boeing’s boost, the nickname appears to be sticking.
FIFA Faces Scrutiny Over Infantino’s Decision
Meanwhile, the ethics complaint filed against Infantino is still unresolved. FIFA declined to confirm whether it received the complaint and stated that its ethics committee does not comment on possible ongoing cases.
FairSquare’s filing also questioned how the peace prize was created, saying there is no clear public record of how Infantino got approval.
“If Mr. Infantino acted unilaterally and without any statutory authority, this should be considered an egregious abuse of power,” the group said.
As for FIFA, it remains to be seen whether Infantino’s actions will result in any penalties. Under FIFA’s ethics code, violations of political neutrality could result in bans of up to two years.
Spotlight Grows Ahead of 2026 World Cup
In the middle of it all, President Trump continues to rack up awards and headlines.
Whether it’s a symbolic peace prize or being seen as a key figure in Boeing’s global success, the president is once again at the center of attention.
And as the 2026 World Cup inches closer, the spotlight on both Trump and Infantino is only growing brighter.
IMAGE CREDIT: ”Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.