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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FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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