Peace Prize for Trump*
The prize created by FIFA to suit the U.S. president was bestowed upon Trump in the name of all soccer fans, including Venezuelans.
Donald Trump received the Peace Prize in my name and yours. FIFA introduced the prize in November 2026 to compensate for [Trump’s] disappointment over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and, according to FIFA’s official website, it will be awarded every year in the name of the billions of people who like soccer. People like me and you, and, I would add, like so many Venezuelans, too. The reason for giving this so-called award is that “[i]n an increasingly unsettled and divided world” there are people who give hope through their actions, as happens in soccer, “bringing hope for future generations,” and naturally they deserve global recognition. The ideal candidate to debut the list of recipients? The current U.S. president, obviously. Who could imagine anyone else “who, through their unwavering commitment and their special actions, ha[s] helped to unite people all over the world in peace”? The award ceremony took place on Dec. 5 in an iconic building in Washington. At the time it still bore its original name, but now it has been extended by the decision of the board that presides over the formerly venerable institution: on the front it now reads “The Donald J. Trump-John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.”
What happened to this performing arts center is paradigmatic of how Trump’s second presidency, which proclaims itself to be restoring peace and to be the golden age, is eroding the democratic nature of its country by pushing aside any form of opposition or challenge. You could attribute this case to the polarizing logic of the culture wars, but it’s about another front in a war being fought by various means, the purpose of which is to impose an autocratic regime led by a 21st century feudal lord outside of international law. Just days into his presidency, Trump purged the board of directors of a traditionally bipartisan institution, appointed himself president and installed a director who subscribed to Trump’s megalomania. Last summer, he announced the names of the Kennedy Center honor winners at a very elegant gala. Until now, a special committee chose the winners, but this time, Trump made the decisions. He chose singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, the metal band Kiss and actors Michael Crawford and his friend Sylvester Stallone.
There’s a photo of the winners in the Oval Office, standing behind Trump who is sitting at the desk where, throughout 2025, he signed the executive orders that are eroding democracy in both his country and across the world. To the side are two trophies: the World Cup, which will be played this summer across North America, and the sculpture that he received upon being awarded the FIFA Peace Prize. It’s the work of two artists from Azerbaijan: a golden globe held up by five hands, also gold. Trump received it at the start of December, during the World Cup draw, which was held at the Kennedy Center. The cultural center’s new Trump-loyalist director said that FIFA was making large donations to the institution, but there’s no proof of this. FIFA President Gianni Infantino — who is accused of breaking FIFA’s ethical code, and who rented offices in Trump Tower in New York — declared that Trump “can always count on” his support and “the support of the entire [soccer] community, to help [you] make peace and prosperity all over the world.” Go champ!
*Editor’s note: This article is available in its original language with a paid subscription.
Donald Trump received the Peace Prize in my name and yours. FIFA introduced the prize in November 2026 to compensate for [Trump’s] disappointment over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and, according to FIFA’s official website, it will be awarded every year in the name of the billions of people who like soccer. People like me and you, and, I would add, like so many Venezuelans, too. The reason for giving this so-called award is that “[i]n an increasingly unsettled and divided world” there are people who give hope through their actions, as happens in soccer, “bringing hope for future generations,” and naturally they deserve global recognition. The ideal candidate to debut the list of recipients? The current U.S. president, obviously. Who could imagine anyone else “who, through their unwavering commitment and their special actions, ha[s] helped to unite people all over the world in peace”? The award ceremony took place on Dec. 5 in an iconic building in Washington. At the time it still bore its original name, but now it has been extended by the decision of the board that presides over the formerly venerable institution: on the front it now reads “The Donald J. Trump-John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.”
What happened to this performing arts center is paradigmatic of how Trump’s second presidency, which proclaims itself to be restoring peace and to be the golden age, is eroding the democratic nature of its country by pushing aside any form of opposition or challenge. You could attribute this case to the polarizing logic of the culture wars, but it’s about another front in a war being fought by various means, the purpose of which is to impose an autocratic regime led by a 21st century feudal lord outside of international law. Just days into his presidency, Trump purged the board of directors of a traditionally bipartisan institution, appointed himself president and installed a director who subscribed to Trump’s megalomania. Last summer, he announced the names of the Kennedy Center honor winners at a very elegant gala. Until now, a special committee chose the winners, but this time, Trump made the decisions. He chose singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, the metal band Kiss and actors Michael Crawford and his friend Sylvester Stallone.
There’s a photo of the winners in the Oval Office, standing behind Trump who is sitting at the desk where, throughout 2025, he signed the executive orders that are eroding democracy in both his country and across the world. To the side are two trophies: the World Cup, which will be played this summer across North America, and the sculpture that he received upon being awarded the FIFA Peace Prize. It’s the work of two artists from Azerbaijan: a golden globe held up by five hands, also gold. Trump received it at the start of December, during the World Cup draw, which was held at the Kennedy Center. The cultural center’s new Trump-loyalist director said that FIFA was making large donations to the institution, but there’s no proof of this. FIFA President Gianni Infantino — who is accused of breaking FIFA’s ethical code, and who rented offices in Trump Tower in New York — declared that Trump “can always count on” his support and “the support of the entire [soccer] community, to help [you] make peace and prosperity all over the world.” Go champ!
*Editor’s note: This article is available in its original language with a paid subscription.
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