FIFA pledge at Trump’s Board of Peace meeting
The Gaza Strip’s war-damaged conditions were on display in political theater at President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace meeting in Washington on Thursday, where FIFA used a high-profile announcement to offer what it called hope through soccer infrastructure. The Associated Press reported that Gaza is in ruins after more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas, with neighborhoods reduced to rubble and serious questions about rebuilding essentials such as water and sewage, roads, electrical grids and other critical infrastructure needed to help prevent widespread starvation.
Against that backdrop, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stood at the event and said the world should focus not only on rebuilding physical structures but also on building “people, emotion, hope and trust.” In his remarks, Infantino framed football as a universal language, describing it as “about hope” and “about joy,” while saying it is also “about coming together.”
Infantino delivered FIFA’s offer after comparing the rebuilding needs to the additional role that sport could play. FIFA pledged $50 million to build a new national soccer stadium for Gaza with a capacity of between 20,000 and 25,000 spectators. FIFA also said it would build a $15 million FIFA academy.
The organization further promised to spend additional funds for smaller and full-size pitch facilities. FIFA said it would provide $2.5 million for 50 “arena mini pitches,” described as soccer fields, and add $1 million for each of five full-sized fields.
AP reported that Gaza does not have a national soccer team, but a unified Palestinian squad representing the Gaza Strip and the West Bank has been recognized by FIFA since 1998 and has never qualified for the World Cup. Infantino also showed a video at the meeting that claimed “A simple ball. A shared field. A reason to believe again,” and said FIFA and the Board of Peace would join forces to “turn football into a bridge toward peace, dignity and hope.”
The sports pledge was delivered during the inaugural session of the Board of Peace, which AP described as a Washington platform where political and diplomatic promises were made for Gaza. At the same meeting, AP reported that nine governments pledged $7 billion toward a Gaza relief package.
AP also reported that five additional governments said they would deploy troops as part of an international stabilization force, as part of efforts related to Gaza reconstruction and stabilization. Trump, AP said, repeatedly singled out Infantino during his own remarks at the Board of Peace event.
AP reported that attendees were given Make American Great Again-style red hats with “USA” in white letters and “45-47” referencing Trump’s two presidential terms. Infantino briefly wore one of the hats, according to AP.
AP added that Trump’s remarks ranged across topics while addressing Infantino. AP reported that Trump described how B-2 bombers carry “very big bombs,” and that Trump also said he “like[d] your job the best” when speaking to Infantino.
AP said Trump’s most effusive praise for Infantino at the meeting was tied to FIFA awarding Trump a “FIFA peace prize” last year, after Trump lobbied for a Nobel Peace Prize and was not selected by the Norwegian committee that awards it. AP reported Trump said: “I think they saw that I got screwed by Norway.”