The FIFA peace prize for Donald Trump ignites major controversy as the fans label it as a "disgraceful act"

FIFA president Infantino showing the FIFA World Cup trophy to Donald Trump. (Image credits - Heute, Licence Details

The US president Donald Trump received the FIFA peace prize during the World Cup group stage draw in Washington DC from FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

"This is truly one of the great honours of my life,” said Trump after receiving the honorary prize.

Infantino handed over the inaugural FIFA peace prize to the US president and has also shown his support for the American leader on several occasions on social media, even hyping him for the Nobel Peace Prize.

However, his actions have led to a huge controversy, and the FIFA president has been accused of breaching the organisation’s rules. 

The ethics committee of the organisation has been urged to investigate Infantino, accusing him of breaking FIFA’s rules on being politically neutral.

Human rights organisation Fair Square has issued a formal complaint to FIFA for breaching four neutrality rules. They have blasted the FIFA president for running the football organising body like his own private property.

"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." (sic)

"The FIFA president does not have the authority to unilaterally dictate the organisation's mission, strategic direction, policies and values,” said the complaint letter. (sic)

Fair Square also targeted Infantino’s previous Instagram posts where he was visibly seen showing support to Trump. They have claimed that the US president is using FIFA as a domain to support his political agenda.

"This complaint is about a lot more than Infantino's support for President Donald Trump's political agenda,” said the programme director of Fair Square. (sic)

He further added, "More broadly, this is about how FIFA's absurd governance structure has allowed Gianni Infantino to openly flout the organisation's rules and act in ways that are both dangerous and directly contrary to the interests of the world's most popular sport." (sic)