Socceroo Slams Trump Peace Prize, Calls It a Mockery of FIFA’s Human Rights Agenda

Australia’s midfielder, Jackson Irvine, has voiced strong criticism against FIFA, asserting that the organization has damaged football’s reputation as a catalyst for positive change. He accused FIFA of undermining its own Human Rights Policy by recent actions.

In a candid conversation with Reuters, Irvine condemned FIFA’s controversial decision to award its inaugural Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump during the World Cup draw in December. The prize was granted for “promoting peace and unity around the world,” a move Irvine found deeply troubling.

Adding to the controversy, the United States, a co-host of the World Cup along with Canada and Mexico, proceeded to launch a military strike on Venezuela just a month after the draw. Tensions further escalated with joint airstrikes conducted by the US and Israel on Iran by the end of February.

“FIFA’s award decision seems to mock their own human rights charter,” Irvine expressed to Reuters. “Such actions contradict the message of using football as a beacon for global good and positive transformation.”

He further commented on the disconnection between football’s top echelons and its grassroots essence. “Decisions like these give the impression that football is straying from its roots and the societal values it should champion,” he warned, pointing out the growing chasm between the sport’s leadership and its foundational community values.

FIFA and the White House did not provide immediate comment.

Human rights groups and activists have widely condemned the awarding of the Peace Prize to Trump. Norway’s football federation on Monday called for FIFA to abolish it to avoid being drawn into politics.

Statement of protest

FIFA published its first Human Rights Policy in 2017. Its Human Rights Framework for the 2026 FIFA World Cup includes provisions for host cities to promote inclusion, protect freedom of expression and prohibit discrimination during the June 11 to July 19 tournament.

However, rights groups have said FIFA needs to do more to press the US to address the risks of human rights abuses for athletes, fans and workers, pointing to a hardline immigration crackdown and deportation drive pursued by the Trump administration.

Irvine, who has earned 80 caps for Australia and captained the team, plays in the German Bundesliga for St. Pauli, a club renowned for its progressive culture.

The 33-year-old has long been vocal about human rights concerns and was a driving force in the Australian team’s statement of protest against Qatar’s human rights record before the 2022 World Cup.

Irvine and 15 other Australia players raised concerns in a video about migrant worker conditions in Qatar and called for decriminalisation of same-sex relationships in the Gulf nation.

Four years on, Irvine has similar concerns about human rights in the United States and the treatment of LGBT groups and other communities.

“It’s not an issue just in the Middle East, in America we’re seeing more and more of the rights of these communities … being taken away all over the country,” he said.

“We have to sincerely hope that we see a lot of open support in that space as well.”

Players have used World Cups as a platform to promote various causes, including anti-racism and gender equality, but FIFA bans political, religious and personal slogans and imagery from team equipment.

FIFA blocked the captains of seven European teams from wearing rainbow armbands on the field during the 2022 tournament to protest Qatar’s laws against same-sex relationships.

Players at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand were given a choice of eight FIFA-sanctioned armbands to promote social causes like gender equality, inclusion and anti-violence.

FIFA has not confirmed whether players will be offered sanctioned armbands for the upcoming World Cup and did not provide immediate comment when asked by Reuters.

Irvine said he hoped armbands and other symbols for advocacy would be welcomed at the tournament, and that players would be given leeway to express themselves.

However, he said he would also understand if athletes were wary about the potential blowback for making a stand.

“You’ve got a group who are unbelievably supportive and really love to see people in these positions speak up about issues that they care about,” he said.

“And on the other side, the opposite, the polarisation has gone further.

“People really actively dislike players trying to bring politics into sport.”

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