US President Donald Trump became the first ever recipient of FIFA's new peace prize at the 2026 World Cup draw Friday -- a compensation gift for a leader whose dream of winning the Nobel remains unfulfilled.
Gianni Infantino, the head of world football's governing body and a close ally of Trump, presented the 79-year-old with the award during the ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
"Thank you very much. This is truly one of the great honors of my life. And beyond awards, Gianni and I were discussing this, we saved millions and millions of lives," Trump said.
Infantino said Trump won the award for "exceptional and extraordinary" actions to promote peace and unity around the world.
FIFA announced the annual prize in November, saying it would recognize people who bring "hope for future generations."
Its inaugural recipient was hardly a surprise.
Infantino, 55, has developed a tight relationship with Trump, visiting the White House more than any world leader since Trump's return to office in January.
The US president often insists that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending what he says are eight conflicts this year, including a fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
He was snubbed by the Norwegian Nobel Committee last month as it awarded the peace prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
Trump has put himself at the head of a "board of peace" for war-torn Gaza -- Infantino also attended the signing of that peace deal in Egypt -- while his administration this week renamed a Washington peace institute after him.
The US leader has made the World Cup a centerpiece of his second presidency.
