Donald Trump has received the first-ever Fifa Peace Prize at the World Cup draw ceremony in Washington, DC.
The President was awarded the new prize from football’s global governing body, which recognises individuals who have made "exceptional contributions to peace and unity".
Gianni Infantino praised President Trump’s role in the Middle East peace negotiations, while the US is also working to bring an end to the conflict sparked by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In a speech that lasted exactly two minutes, the President described the award as "[one of] the great honours of my life".
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Trump praised the cooperation between the US, Mexico and Canada and the enthusiasm of the organisers.
He also paid a heartwarming tribute to his wife, Melania, and Infantino.
The award came moments before the 2026 World Cup draw.
England and Scotland will find out their opponents for the competition that kicks off in the summer.
Donald Trump has received the first-ever Fifa Peace Prize at the World Cup draw ceremony in Washington, DC
|GETTY
Speaking to the audience, Infantino said: "Like everyone here in the room, we see images of war all over the world.
"And like everyone, we suffer for every child that dies, we cry with every mother who loses someone she loves, and we want to see hope and unity, we want to see a future.
"I was lucky, Mr. President, to witness the Abraham Accords signatures, the peace in the Middle East agreement regarding Gaza, yesterday here in Washington, the Washington peace agreement between Rwanda and the DRC.
"This is what we want from a leader, a leader who cares about the people. We want to live in a safe world, a safe environment. We want to unite. You definitely deserve the Fifa Peace Prize for your actions. You can always count on my support and the whole football community."
The President was awarded the new prize from football’s global governing body
|PA
Upon accepting the award, President Trump said: "This is truly one of the great honours of my life.
"Beyond awards, we have saved millions and millions of lives.
"The Congo is an example. India, Pakistan, so many different wars we are able to end, in some cases, a little bit before they started.It's such an honour to be with Gianni.
"I have known Gianni for so long; he has done such an incredible job. He has set a new record on ticket sales. It's an awfully nice tribute to you and the game of football, or as we call it soccer. The numbers are beyond what even Gianni thought was possible."
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni, Heidi Klum and the FIFA World Cup trophy during the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw at the John F. Kennedy Center
|PA
The President added: "I want to thank my family, my great First Lady, Melania.
"I think you are going to have an event to maybe the likes of which the world has ever seen. The enthusiasm, I have never seen anything like it.
"We have had a tremendous working relationship with Canada; we have our Prime Minister of Canada and the President of Mexico, and we have worked closely with those two countries. The coordination, friendship, and relationship have been outstanding.
"I want to thank you all very much. I want to thank everybody. The world is a safer place now. A year ago, the United States was not doing well, but now we are the hottest country in the world, and we are going to keep it that way."
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