Australian soccer star Jackson Irvine is extremely angry with FIFA. The 33-year-old midfielder says the global governing body completely ruined the credibility of the sport. During a recent interview, Irvine blasted FIFA for giving its first-ever Peace Prize to United States President Donald Trump. Irvine believes this specific award makes a total mockery of everything the sport tries to achieve for global human rights.
FIFA handed Trump the inaugural award during the World Cup draw last December. The organization praised the president for promoting peace and unity around the world. However, Irvine pointed out the massive hypocrisy of this statement. Just 1 month after receiving the peace award, the United States launched a military strike against Venezuela. Shortly after that attack, the American military joined forces with Israel to bomb targets inside Iran on February 28.
Irvine told reporters that decisions like this push the sport backward. He said awarding a peace prize to a leader who actively bombs other countries destroys the FIFA Human Rights Policy. Irvine feels that top-level soccer continues to disconnect itself from everyday society. He wants the sport to act as a positive driving force in local communities, rather than a political tool for wealthy leaders.
So far, neither FIFA nor the White House has responded to Irvine. However, human rights groups and other soccer organizations stand firmly behind the Australian player. On Monday, Norway’s official soccer federation demanded that FIFA abolish the Peace Prize. The Norwegian officials want the sport to avoid getting dragged into messy global politics.
Irvine knows exactly how to fight for human rights in sports. He has earned exactly 80 caps playing for the Australian national team. He currently plays his club soccer in Germany for St. Pauli, a team famous for its strong progressive culture. Before the 2022 World Cup, Irvine led 15 other Australian players in a massive video protest against Qatar. They demanded better conditions for migrant workers and begged the Gulf nation to decriminalize same-sex relationships.
Now, Irvine sees similar problems happening inside the United States ahead of the 2026 tournament. Human rights groups want FIFA to pressure the American government to protect vulnerable people. Activists specifically point to the Trump administration pushing strict immigration crackdowns and massive deportation drives. Irvine also worries about the government taking rights away from LGBT communities across all 50 states.
The massive 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11 and runs until July 19. The United States will share hosting duties with Canada and Mexico. FIFA published its first human rights charter back in 2017, promising to protect freedom of expression and stop discrimination. Despite these written rules, FIFA has a terrible track record of allowing players to speak their minds on the field.
The governing body strictly bans players from displaying political or religious slogans on their uniforms. During the 2022 tournament, FIFA aggressively blocked the captains of 7 different European teams from wearing rainbow armbands. FIFA threatened to issue yellow cards to any player who wore the LGBT symbol. However, they slightly changed their rules during the 2023 Women’s World Cup, allowing players to choose from 8 pre-approved armbands that promoted basic social causes.
FIFA has not yet confirmed whether it will allow players to wear protest armbands during the upcoming men’s tournament. Irvine sincerely hopes the organizers will welcome advocacy symbols and give athletes the freedom to express their beliefs. He wants to see open support for marginalized communities when millions of fans tune in to watch the games this summer.
Even if FIFA allows the armbands, Irvine understands why some athletes might choose to stay quiet. He admits that speaking out carries a massive risk of public blowback. While many fans love seeing their favorite players support good causes, other fans react with extreme anger. Irvine noted that society feels more polarized than ever, and many loud critics actively hate it when athletes bring politics into sports.
