When we watched Trump walk up to receive the FIFA peace prize, it was hard not to see the award as a personal trophy more than a genuine recognition of global peace efforts. From the moment he took the stage at the Kennedy Center, it felt like a show carefully designed to put him at the center of attention. For a man who has long chased accolades like the Nobel Prize, this was another chance to shine.
A Stage Set for Showmanship
Trump’s speech made it clear: this was less about collective achievement and more about his own narrative. He spoke of saving “millions of lives” and described the award as one of the greatest honors of his life. The atmosphere, the applause, the cameras, everything seemed staged to remind us of the image Trump has built over decades: the man who wants to be seen as a global peacemaker.
Gianni Infantino, head of FIFA, praised Trump for “exceptional and extraordinary” actions. Yet we cannot ignore that FIFA itself, a body that claims political neutrality, has rarely ventured so clearly into the political spotlight. This prize, created only last month, suddenly finds its first recipient in a sitting U.S. president known more for dividing than uniting nations.
The Bigger Picture
We have to ask ourselves: what does this award really mean? FIFA announced that the prize was to honor those who bring hope for future generations, yet there is almost no transparency about the selection process, the criteria, or other nominees.
Meanwhile, Trump’s record in global affairs has been mixed at best. While he positions himself as a “president of peace,” we have also seen military escalations, hardline migration policies, and aggressive actions that contradict the very notion of promoting harmony. The contrast between the image on stage at the World Cup draw and the reality of his administration’s decisions is striking.
A Symbol of Ego
This award feels like a personal branding exercise. Trump has made the World Cup central to his second presidency, renaming peace institutes after himself and taking credit for high-profile diplomatic events. The spectacle at the Kennedy Center only reinforced the impression that the FIFA prize was designed for one thing: feeding his ego.
The optics of the event, the ceremony, the handshake, the cameras, all suggest that the message was as much about power and influence as it was about peace. And that is exactly why we have to be honest about what this prize represents.
The Legacy Question
At the end of the day, the FIFA Peace Prize serves as a reminder of how political theater can sometimes overshadow actual achievement. The award may give Trump another headline and a moment in the spotlight, but it does little to address the deeper issues of conflict, migration, and human rights that demand real leadership.
We can look at this event and see it clearly for what it is: a calculated move to cement an image, not a measure of genuine accomplishment. The prize may exist, the ceremony may have been grand, but the truth behind it is unmistakable. For anyone paying attention, it was less about peace and more about the projection of power and personality.
