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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- Summary
- *Klaveness urges FIFA to avoid political entanglement by ending the Peace Prize
- *FIFA criticised for awarding inaugural peace prize to Donald Trump
- *NFF supports FairSquare’s call for an investigation into possible breach of FIFA ethics
*FIFA should scrap its peace prize to avoid getting drawn into politics, Norwegian Football Association (NFF) President Lise Klaveness said on Monday, suggesting that the awarding of such prizes be left to the Nobel Institute in Oslo.
Led by Gianni Infantino, world soccer’s governing body came under fire for awarding its inaugural peace prize to U.S. President Donald Trump in December at the draw for the 2026 World Cup.
The FIFA peace award was seen by many as a consolation prize for Trump, who has said on numerous occasions that he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and whose country will co-host this year’s World Cup with Canada and Mexico.
“We (the NFF) want to see it (the FIFA peace prize) abolished. We don’t think it’s part of FIFA’s mandate to give such a prize; we think we have a Nobel Institute that does that job independently already,” Klaveness told an online press briefing.
“We think it’s important for football federations, confederations and also FIFA to try to avoid situations where this arm ‘s-length distance to state leaders is challenged, and these prizes will typically be very political if you don’t have really good instruments and experience to make them independent, with juries and criteria, et cetera.
“That is full-time work, it’s so sensitive, I think from a resource angle, from a mandate angle, but most importantly from a governance angle, I think it should be avoided also in the future,” she said.
The 45-year-old lawyer said the NFF board would be writing a letter saying it supported calls for an investigation into the awarding of the prize by non-profit organisation FairSquare, which has alleged that Infantino and FIFA may have breached their own ethical guidelines regarding political impartiality in awarding the prize.
“There should be checks and balances on these issues and this complaint from FairSquare should be treated with a transparent timeline, and that the reasoning and the conclusion should be transparent,” Klaveness said
-Reuters
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will this weekend host a three-day Women’s Football Administrators Workshop in the Federal Capital Territory, as part of efforts to strengthen the structure and growth of the women’s game across West Africa.
The workshop, organised by the West African Football Union (WAFU) Zone B in collaboration with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), is scheduled to take place from April 26 to 28 at the Exclusive Serene Hotel and Suites, Wuye.
The programme will bring together chairpersons of Women’s Football Commissions and heads of women’s football departments from the seven WAFU-B member countries — Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger Republic, Togo and Benin Republic — providing a platform for strategic dialogue and capacity development.
President of the NFF and WAFU-B, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, is expected to declare the workshop open. Other key figures billed to attend include WAFU-B Executive Director Philippe Tchere, CAF Head of Women’s Football Goshime Meskerem, WAFU-B Women’s Football Commission President Amina Amani and Women’s Football Development Manager Precious Dede.
Dede, a former Nigeria international goalkeeper, will serve as one of the facilitators alongside Meskerem and CAF instructors Jules McGeever and Thuba Sibanda, guiding participants through a series of technical and strategic sessions.
According to the programme outline, Day One will focus on foundational and contextual issues, with presentations on the growth and evolution of women’s football in Africa, a global overview of the women’s game, regional challenges and achievements, as well as leadership scenarios in football administration.
Day Two will delve into practical development strategies, including leveraging strategic planning for holistic growth, lessons from the Ghana Football Association, and case studies of successful clubs such as Mamelodi Sundowns and ASEC Mimosas. Discussions will also cover branding and frameworks for women’s football development within member associations.
The final day will centre on actionable outcomes, with sessions dedicated to strategic planning, implementation pathways and consolidating workshop findings into measurable initiatives aimed at advancing women’s football across the region.
Organisers say the workshop reflects a growing commitment by CAF and WAFU-B to equip administrators with the knowledge and tools required to drive sustainable development in the women’s game, while fostering collaboration among member associations.
The initiative is expected to further reinforce Nigeria’s role as a key hub for football development in West Africa, particularly in the rapidly expanding women’s football sector.
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Governing Bodies
Nigerian-Descent Onyewu Emerges as Contender for Top U.S. Soccer Role After Crocker Exit
A potential new chapter may be unfolding for Nigerian-descended football administrator Oguchi Onyewu following the sudden resignation of U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker—a development that could elevate Onyewu into one of the most influential technical positions in American football.
Crocker stepped down from his role with immediate effect, barely two months before the kickoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States will co-host. The U.S. Soccer Federation confirmed that the outgoing sporting director is set to pursue “another opportunity in international soccer,” with reports linking him to a similar position in Saudi Arabia.
In the interim, U.S. Soccer has moved quickly to stabilise its leadership structure, with chief operating officer Dan Helfrich assuming executive oversight of sporting operations. Crucially, he will work closely with Onyewu, who currently serves as assistant sporting director, as well as head of women’s development Tracey Kevins.
The reshuffle has immediately sparked speculation that Onyewu—whose father is Nigerian—could be in line for a promotion to the vacant sporting director role, either on an interim or permanent basis. His growing administrative influence within U.S. Soccer, combined with his experience as a former international player, places him in a strong position at a critical time for the federation.
Beyond his administrative credentials, Onyewu’s background reflects a rich multicultural and personal profile. His parents relocated from Nigeria to the United States to pursue studies in Washington, D.C., where he was raised alongside his siblings—Uche, Nonye, Chi-Chi, and Ogechi. In addition to his American identity, he also holds Belgian citizenship and is multilingual, speaking English, French, Italian, and Portuguese.
A practising Catholic, Onyewu combines his professional pursuits with strong personal values and global engagement. Standing at 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), he is the second-tallest outfield player in United States national team history, behind Omar Gonzalez. He has also broken new ground off the pitch as the first Vice President of Sport within the U.S. Soccer structure.
Onyewu’s influence extends beyond administration into social impact. He serves as a Global Ambassador for Grassroot Soccer, an initiative that uses football as a tool to educate and empower young people with life-saving health information and mentorship.
U.S. Soccer CEO and Secretary General JT Batson praised Crocker’s contribution, noting that the federation had “grown significantly across every part of our sporting organisation” during his tenure. Crocker was instrumental in key appointments, including hiring women’s national team coach Emma Hayes and men’s team coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Despite the timing of the departure, just weeks before the World Cup, U.S. Soccer officials insist preparations remain unaffected. Helfrich expressed confidence in the existing technical structure, emphasising that coaching staff retain full control over tournament planning.
“I anticipate zero impact on World Cup preparation as a result of Matt’s decision,” Helfrich stated, underlining continuity within the system.
As the countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup intensifies, attention will now turn to how quickly U.S. Soccer fills the vacant sporting director role—and whether Onyewu will be entrusted with leading the federation’s sporting vision at a historic moment.
For Nigeria, the development once again highlights the far-reaching impact of its football diaspora, with Onyewu potentially set to occupy one of the most strategic positions in global football administration.
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