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.
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WWE NXT on Tuesday night was filled with surprise debuts, but one wrestler made more noise than the rest as she entered the ring.
Lizzy Rain, the niece of late Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr, vowed to keep heavy metal alive as she came to WWE from PROGRESS Wrestling where she was the PROGRESS women’s champion. The British wrestler, formerly known in the ring as Rayne Leverkusen, squared off against Nikkita Lyons in her first NXT match.
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Lizzy Rain celebrates her win during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, on April 28, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)
She avoided a mid-rope splash from Lyons and then nailed her opponent with a step-up knee shot to Lyons, which was dubbed Thunderstruck. She pinned Lyons and picked up her first win.
Rain talked about how her uncle inspired her in her life on “Busted Open After Dark.”
“Clive, he inspired me so much. To be honest, when I was younger, I didn’t really know who he was,” she said, via Wrestle Talk. “He died, I think it’s 13 years ago now, something like that, so I was 15 years old. And when I was growing up, and he was well, he died from MS, unfortunately so he wasn’t very well by the time I got into my teens, he was not verbal or anything.
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“Then I was younger and around him I didn’t have a clue who he was. I liked music, I always liked Alice Cooper, I always liked Iron Maiden but as a child I didn’t really know, ‘Oh, my uncle is the original drummer of Iron Maiden,’ until I got into my teens.”
Unfortunately, Rain said, she was unable to really talk to Burr about his life in Iron Maiden before he died in 2013.
Elsewhere, a few other newcomers appeared.
Evil confronts Tony D’Angelo during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on April 28, 2026. (Chansey Augustine/WWE)
Former IWGP champion known as EVIL stepped up to Tony D’Angelo, the current NXT champion. After EVIL left the ring, former PROGRESS atlas champion known as Will Kroos assaulted D’Angelo.
Kam Hendrix, Tristan Angels and Tate Wilder also appeared on NXT for the first time.
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Ricky Saints enters the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on April 28, 2026. (Chansey Augustine/WWE)
NXT Results
Myles Borne def. Saquon Shugars to retain the NXT North American Championship.
EK Prosper and Sean Legacy def. Stacks Lorenzo and Uriah Connors.
Lizzy Rain def. Nikkita Lyons.
Kelani Jordan def. Wren Sinclair.
Shiloh Hill def. Ricky Saints.
Sports
Two players ejected after scrum amid Knicks’ 50-point lead against Hawks sends referee crashing to the court
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Frustrations boiled over in Game 6 of the New York Knicks-Atlanta Hawks series amid a shocking 50-point Knicks lead in the first half.
Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson and Hawks guard Dyson Daniels were both ejected after receiving double technical fouls after inciting a scrum that led to a referee hitting the court hard in the second quarter.
At the time, the Knicks were up a whopping 72-22 when free throws were being taken by New York. As OG Anunoby hit his and-one opportunity, Robinson and Daniels were face-to-face, leading to an embrace that turned aggressive.
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Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks and Jalen Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks fight during the second quarter of Game 6 in the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on April 30, 2026. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
One official was trying to break up the skirmish but lost his footing and hit the hardwood. Meanwhile, Robinson was trying to go back at Daniels, and both Hawks and Knicks players were trying to hold others back in the exchange.
Robinson and Daniels continued jawing at each other, repeatedly trying to get face-to-face as coaches and officials worked to calm them down.
Once Robinson and Daniels got back to their respective benches, both players were ejected after further review.
Replay showed that Daniels threw an elbow into Robinson’s chest while Anunoby was taking the free throw, and the Knicks center reacted accordingly. Ultimately, it led to an early exit for both players.
Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks reacts during the first quarter of Game 6 against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on April 30, 2026. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Knicks entered the game on the road in Atlanta with a chance to move on to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, but perhaps even they didn’t expect what occurred in the first half.
When the buzzer rang out at the end of the second quarter, the Knicks were up 83-36 going into the locker room. Though there are two quarters left to play, it’s not looking good for the Hawks, who were shooting a lackluster 31% from the field, while committing 14 turnovers.
Meanwhile, the Knicks couldn’t stop hitting their shots, especially Anunoby, who had more points than the Hawks did as a team at one point in the first half. He ended the half with 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting, while hauling in seven rebounds and two assists. He also tallied four steals for New York.
Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks drives around Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks during the first quarter of Game 6 in the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on April 30, 2026. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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Mikal Bridges (16 points) and Jalen Brunson (13 points) also added to the Knicks’ total, while Karl-Anthony Towns hit all 10 of his free throw attempts in the first half.
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Sports
Colts decline Anthony Richardson’s fifth-year option, setting former No. 4 overall pick up for free agency
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The Indianapolis Colts have declined quarterback Anthony Richardson’s fifth-year option.
Richardson, the team’s No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, is headed for free agency after the 2026 season.
The move was one many viewed as inevitable considering the tumultuous start Richardson has had to his NFL career.
The Florida product has dealt with a number of injuries and inconsistent play, and the Colts looked outside the organization for quarterback help before the start of the 2025 season.
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. warms up before a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., on Aug. 7, 2025. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Indy was high on Richardson when it took him with the fourth overall pick of that year’s draft, though there were some who questioned if he was NFL ready right away.
That proved not to be the case. Richardson split time with veteran journeyman Gardner Minshew in 2023, while Joe Flacco eventually took over for him in 2024.
Richardson eventually got his starting spot back over Flacco in 2024, with the Colts announcing he would be the team’s starter the rest of the way.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones runs off the field after a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Oct. 19, 2025. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images)
But he was benched prior to Flacco coming in after voluntarily taking himself out of a game for one play, saying he “needed a breather.” The move was ridiculed by pundits and fans, and the Colts ultimately made an example of it.
The Colts signed Daniel Jones during the 2025 offseason after the New York Giants released him midway through the 2024 campaign, parting ways with their own first-round pick who had a roller-coaster tenure with the franchise. Jones and Richardson were pitted in an open quarterback battle at the start of training camp, and, on Aug. 19, Jones was named the team’s starter.
Richardson served as Jones’ backup to begin the year, but he was placed on the injured reserve after a freak accident fractured an orbital bone in his eye during pregame warmups.
Richardson also dealt with a grade-three AC joint sprain that required an IR stint during his rookie season. It was initially supposed to be a one-to-two-month recovery, but he needed surgery to repair the shoulder.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson warms up before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sept. 7, 2025. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
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Richardson heads into his fourth NFL season fighting for his next contract, whether it’s with the Colts or elsewhere.
Jones re-signed with Indianapolis for two years and $88 million with $50 million guaranteed, and rookie Riley Leonard remains on the depth chart.
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