Governing Bodies
Australia’s midfielder, Irvine, says Trump’s peace prize makes a mockery of FIFA Human Rights Policy
Australia midfielder Jackson Irvine says soccer’s credibility as a force for good has been undermined by the game’s global governing body, accusing FIFA of making a mockery of its Human Rights Policy.
In an interview with Reuters, Irvine took aim at FIFA’s decision to give its inaugural Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December for “promoting peace and unity around the world”.
The U.S., which is co-hosting the World Cup with Canada and Mexico, launched a military strike on Venezuela a month after the draw and began joint airstrikes with Israel on Iran on February 28.
“As an organisation, you would have to say decisions like the one that we saw awarding this peace prize makes a mockery of what they’re trying to do with the human rights charter and trying to use football as a global driving force for good and positive change in the world,” Irvine told Reuters.
“Decisions like that feel like they just set us back in the perceived market of what football currently is, especially at the top level where it’s becoming so disconnected from society and the grassroots of what the game actually is and means in our communities and in the world.”
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 soccer 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 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 U.S. 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 Australian 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.”
-Reuters
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World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
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UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
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Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
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