SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt – U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that FIFA, the international governing body of association football, will contribute $75 million to reconstruction projects in Gaza, focusing on sports infrastructure. The commitment was made during the inaugural meeting of Trump’s newly formed Board of Peace, convened in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to address global conflicts.
Trump detailed the plan, stating FIFA would fund the construction of 50 mini football pitches at a cost of approximately $50,000 each, totaling $2.5 million. Five full-sized football fields are planned for different districts within Gaza, budgeted at $1 million per field. A FIFA academy, estimated to cost $15 million, and a national stadium with a $50 million price tag are also included in the initiative, according to details shared during the meeting and subsequently reported by Spanish news outlet COPE.
“You’re building fields and you’re getting the best stars in the world to go there, people who are bigger than you and bigger than me,” Trump said to FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the announcement. Infantino, who was invited to the summit by Trump, stated that FIFA was “here to support, to assist and to put ourselves at disposal for whatever One can do to make sure that this peace process comes to fruition and to the best possible end.”
The announcement follows a recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, brokered by the United States. Trump suggested that Infantino should be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts, echoing previous calls he has made regarding the FIFA president’s involvement in peace initiatives. Here’s not the first instance of close collaboration between Trump and Infantino. the FIFA president has visited the White House multiple times, attended Trump’s inauguration, and FIFA opened an office in Trump Tower earlier this year.
Infantino’s presence at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, and his close relationship with Trump, has drawn scrutiny. Human rights groups, including FairSquare, have criticized Infantino for appearing to abandon FIFA’s traditional stance of political neutrality. Nick McGeehan, director of FairSquare, described Infantino’s appearance in Egypt as “deeply troubling.”
The FIFA president’s involvement in the Gaza reconstruction effort also comes after he called for football to support peace efforts in the Middle East in the lead-up to recent World Cup qualifiers involving Israel, following planned pro-Palestinian demonstrations at stadiums in Norway and Italy. He praised the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, specifically highlighting Trump’s “fundamental and crucial” role in the process.
The Board of Peace, launched by Trump, aims to address global conflicts, beginning with the situation in Gaza. The meeting included leaders such as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and the $7 billion reconstruction fund for Gaza announced at the meeting included contributions from multiple nations, according to Reuters.
