Sports
Nobel aside, Trump dominates stage with FIFA Peace Prize at World Cup 2026 draw
- Trump awarded prize for promoting dialogue and de-escalation.
- Event held at Washington’s Kennedy Centre at Trump’s urging.
- Trump says he has settled eight wars in last 10 months.
US President Donald Trump walked into Washington’s Kennedy Centre on Friday, insisting he wasn’t there to collect any honours — yet he still ended up walking away with one.
He was handed FIFA’s first-ever peace prize, a surprising twist for a president who has spent the year openly chasing a Nobel nod while casting himself as a dealmaker in some of the world’s most volatile regions.
The former TV reality show host dominated the scene at Washington’s Kennedy Centre on Friday, placing himself squarely at the centre of one of the biggest events in the sporting world in a glitzy, celebrity-studded affair that bore the unmistakable stamp of the president.
The United States, along with Canada and Mexico, will host the soccer tournament next year. The prime minister of Canada, Mark Carney, and the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, were there, too, but it was Trump’s show from start to finish.
In a nod to Trump’s love of spectacle, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who served as master of ceremonies, had the three leaders stand behind brightly colored podiums – game-show style – to draw their teams.
After the draw, they all posed for a selfie with Infantino.
“This will be unique, this will be stellar, this will be spectacular,” Infantino said at the outset of the ceremony, referring to next year’s games.
But he could also have been talking about the Kennedy Centre event itself, which was located in Washington at Trump’s urging.
Last month, FIFA announced that a new annual award called the FIFA Peace Prize would be presented at the draw to “reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace.”
A video before the presentation celebrated Trump for resolving the war in Gaza and trying to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The trophy, a gold-plated globe carried by upraised hands, was considerably larger than the Nobel, which is just a simple medal.
Trump was given a medal as well and donned it as Infantino lauded him. The president deserved the award for “promoting peace and unity around the world,” he said.
“This is truly one of the great honours of my life – and beyond,” Trump said.
He took a moment to congratulate himself. The United States, he said, was “not doing too well” before he took office, but now “we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
Earlier, Trump told reporters he did not care about the prize, but noted that he had “settled eight wars” in his 10 months in office.
“I don’t need prizes. I need to save lives,” Trump said. “I saved millions and millions of lives, and that’s really what I want to do.”
The claim that Trump has ended eight wars this year is widely disputed. Much work remains before most of the conflicts the president claims to have ended, including the Israel-Hamas conflict, can actually be considered resolved.
Trump received the award the same week his administration froze immigration applications from 19 countries after last week’s shooting of two National Guard members in Washington.
It also came days after the president demeaned Somali immigrants in the United States as “garbage” – sparking an outcry both at home and abroad.
Trump has frequently made the trappings of the presidency a part of major sporting and cultural events this year. He attended the Super Bowl in February, to a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd, and on Sunday, he plans to attend the Kennedy Centre Honours, which he eschewed during his first term.
The FIFA event – where 48 teams learned their group stage opponents – opened with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli singing “Nessun Dorma,” a favourite of Trump’s and a staple at his campaign rallies.
Later, British pop star Robbie Williams and American Broadway chanteuse Nicole Scherzinger sang FIFA’s 2026 World Cup anthem with highlights from past tournaments playing on a large video screen behind them.
American sports stars Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal and Aaron Judge – none of them soccer players – also took part. Also on hand was Canadian hockey great Wayne Gretzky.
The World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026, with a record 104 matches in 16 host cities.
The spectacle ended with a live performance of the song “YMCA” by the Village People, the crowning touch for yet another event that the president made his own.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever’s opening game is only days away from tipping off and the superstar WNBA player received a message from LeBron James.
The Lakers star hyped up Clark after she posted a message on Instagram, “Year 3!!! See you all soon.”
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark stands on the court before the game against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
“LFG!!!!!!!!” James in the comments section of the post.
James appeared to be a big fan of Clark as he posted about the Fever sharpshooter before the beginning of her second season in the WNBA.
“Good luck and DO YOU per usual this season!!!”
Year 2 didn’t exactly work out for Clark. She started off the season hot, finishing in double figures in scoring in eight straight games before she was held to just six points in 31 minutes against the Seattle Storm.
Clark reached at least 12 points in the final three games she appeared in. On July 15, Clark suffered a hamstring injury before the All-Star break and she wouldn’t return to the floor for the rest of the year.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers compete during an inbounds play in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
She said last month she was “100% healthy” going into the 2026 season.
“I’m a person that doesn’t want to sit out a single rep, like I want to be in there every single time,” Clark told reporters in April. “But I think just being a little bit smarter with my body…whether that’s recovery, whether that’s pre-court treatment, whatever it is.”
She proved it as much so far during the preseason.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shoots the ball in the second half against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The Fever will begin the season on Saturday against the Dallas Wings.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The most likely NBA Finals matchup this season? The defending champs and a team that hasn’t seen the Finals in nearly three decades.
Let’s check out the odds for which squads will advance to the NBA Finals as of May 5 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
NBA Eastern Conference winner
Knicks: +110 (bet $10 to win $21 total)
Pistons: +270 (bet $10 to win $37 total)
Cavaliers: +340 (bet $10 to win $44 total)
76ers: +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total)
NBA Western Conference winner
Thunder: -260 (bet $10 to win $14.35 total)
Spurs: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Wolves: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Lakers: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Here’s what to know about this oddsboard:
Finals Favorites: The Thunder won it all last season, and the season before that, the Celtics reached the top of the mountain. So, entering the postseason, the two squads were favored to meet in a seven-game series with the title on the line, meaning one of the two franchises could have been approaching dynasty territory if the odds had rung true. However, the Celtics suffered a shocking first-round defeat at the hands of the Sixers, despite leading the series 3-1. Now, Boston is at home, while the Thunder will face the Lakers after sweeping the Suns in Round 1. The new favorite to come out the East? The New York Knicks, who haven’t been to the Finals since falling 4-1 to San Antonio at the conclusion of the 1998-99 season. N.Y. beat Atlanta in six games in the first round and is up 1-0 on Philly in the second round.
The Challengers: The Spurs are next in the mix from the West. Keep in mind, San Antonio and OKC faced off five times this season, and the Spurs won four of those matchups, including the first three. In terms of the East, after New York, things are up in the air, with the Pistons, Cavs and Sixers all in the mix. Detroit, after being one of three teams to win 60 games in the regular season and the only East team to accomplish the feat, has not been getting much respect on the oddsboards, including this one. However, it could have something to do with the Pistons trailing 3-1 to Orlando in the first round, and having to overcome a 60-38 halftime deficit in Game 6 in order to force a Game 7, which they ultimately won.
KARACHI:
Clear your dues or face termination of contracts” the Pakistan Cricket Board has launched a recovery campaign against defaulters. Notices have been issued to all concerned parties, directing them to make payments within the stipulated deadline.
According to details, the 11th edition of the PSL has now concluded, and the PCB had already begun its recovery drive during the tournament. Sources revealed that billions of rupees are currently outstanding from various stakeholders. After repeated reminders failed, officials adopted a stricter stance.
Recently, notices were sent to several entities, including early PSL franchises, clearly stating that contracts would be terminated if payments were not made by April 29. Following this, several franchises cleared their full dues.
When officials were questioned about the unpaid PKR 400 million owed to each franchise, they responded that payment of franchise fees is mandatory under the agreement. They added:
“How can we pay you until we receive payments from other stakeholders?”
In the past, the practice was that after partial payment of fees, the remaining amount would be adjusted from the central revenue pool. However, a different approach has been adopted this time.
For the 10th PSL edition, each franchise was supposed to receive PKR 975 million (97.5 crore) as its share. However, a key stakeholder owes the PCB PKR 4.7 billion, a major portion of which is related to the PSL. This stakeholder has been avoiding payment, citing financial losses, preventing the finalization of accounts.
Due to this issue, the PCB did not allow two TV channels to participate in bidding for the current edition’s media rights. However, surprisingly, the new company that acquired the broadcasting rights permitted those same channels to air the matches.
Learning from past experience, the PCB has now secured a bank guarantee from the new media rights holder, which can be cashed in case of non-payment.
Meanwhile, sources stated that both new teams and the new owner of Multan Sultans had already paid their full franchise fees in advance. Since this is their first year, they are not entitled to any share from previous central revenue pools.
Owners who purchased teams at high prices had already been assured a minimum of PKR 850 million (85 crore) annually from the central pool for the first five years. However, the final amount will only be determined once the accounts are fully settled.
US-Iran talks progressing with Pakistan’s efforts, says Araghchi amid Hormuz tensions
Nylon chips & CPL drop over 5% in final week of April, chain follows
Trump goes from eye rolling at Charles to hailing him ‘the greatest’ King
-
Tech1 week agoA Brain Implant for Depression Is About to Be Tested in Humans
-
Business1 week ago‘I had £20,000 stolen and had to fight a 13-month fraud reporting rule to get it back’
-
Tech1 week agoAlmost 90% of women leave tech industry within 10 years | Computer Weekly
-
Sports1 week agoPro wrestling star Steph De Lander reveals how colleague’s advice helped lead her to title triumph at ACW
-
Business1 week agoPakistan’s oil market is fuelling the crisis | The Express Tribune
-
Entertainment1 week agoNorway joins Type 26 Frigate Programme to boost NATO naval power
-
Tech1 week agoThis Ambitious Laptop Doesn’t Leave Much Room for Your Hands
-
Entertainment1 week agoMelania Trump says ABC should ‘take a stand’ on late-night host Kimmel