We're Pretty Sure We Now Know Why FIFA Gave Trump A 'Peace Prize'—And Yep, That Tracks

After President Donald Trump was presented with FIFA's inaugural “FIFA Peace Prize,” a gold medal and oversized trophy that, notably, arrived just months after he failed to secure a Nobel Peace Prize, the U.S. Justice Department suddenly announced that it was dropping an international soccer bribery case—to the surprise of no one.

During the ceremony, FIFA President Gianni Infantino heaped praise on Trump, saying the honor recognized his "exceptional and extraordinary actions to promote peace and unity around the world.”

The award was presented to Trump just a couple of months after the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

Trump had angled for the Peace Prize for months even though the early deadline for submission meant he was barely eligible for the award in the first place. His administration has claimed he's ended many wars and contributed to peace on the world stage despite, you know, bombing boats in the Caribbean and tearing families apart throughout his immigration crackdown.

And now—just days after receiving FIFA's award—federal prosecutors have urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the bribery case against former Fox executive Hernan Lopez and the Argentina-based sports marketing firm Full Play Group.

Lopez was found guilty in 2023 of participating in a scheme to funnel millions in bribes in exchange for broadcast rights to South American soccer tournaments. Full Play, meanwhile, was accused of orchestrating and managing those payments for media partners.

These charges stemmed from a broader U.S. investigation into corruption across FIFA-linked regional confederations, though FIFA itself was not charged. Prosecutors said they now believe that “dismissal of this criminal case is in the interests of justice.”

Speaking to the Associated Press, Lopez said he was grateful the government had moved to throw out what he described as unfounded allegations. The Supreme Court is expected to act on the request by sending the case back to a lower court, where a judge would formally vacate the indictment.

The timing of this move—coming just days after Trump received FIFA's award—aroused suspicion, though it's not a surprise for an administration already known to give out pardons and drop charges in exchange for favors.

Lopez and Full Play were among the many individuals and companies swept up in the United States’ multiyear probe into global soccer corruption and FIFA’s leadership. That investigation exploded into public view in 2015, when prosecutors alleged that officials across several soccer confederations had accepted roughly $150 million in bribes and kickbacks.

At Lopez’s trial, witnesses testified that he was one of several executives involved in arranging payments to officials at CONMEBOL — the South American soccer confederation — to secure Fox’s broadcast rights to the Copa Libertadores club tournament. Prosecutors also said bribes tied to Lopez enabled Fox to gain access to confidential information related to bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup television rights.

But a recent Supreme Court decision has narrowed the legal pathway for certain corruption prosecutions, complicating the government’s ability to pursue some of these cases. At the same time, President Donald Trump’s administration has shifted how it tackles corruption more broadly.

This year, the federal government moved to significantly pare down the Justice Department unit that handles fraud and corruption cases against public officials. Trump also suspended enforcement of a statute that bars individuals or companies operating in the U.S. from offering money or gifts to foreign officials in order to secure or maintain business deals.