World Cup draw: are set after ceremony featuring a prize for Trump and plenty of fanfare.
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| FIFA World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada |
What we covered here
• Tournament takes shape: The groups are set for the opening stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada, where 48 nations will compete for the ultimate prize in international soccer.
• Standout matchups: Mexico and South Africa will play the opening match on June 11 in Mexico City. Group I emerged as a “group of death,” featuring heavyweights France and Norway along with a competitive Senegal squad. The United States and Spain, meanwhile, drew more favorable opponents on paper.
• A spectacle in Washington: President Donald Trump was awarded the newly created FIFA Peace Prize during a ceremony that featured musical performances, celebrity hosts, sports luminaries and plenty of fanfare in the US capital.D
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| Donald Trump claims to have saved 'millions of lives' after receiving inaugural FIFA Peace Prize |
President Donald Trump has been awarded the newly created FIFA Peace Prize.
“This is truly one of the great honors of my life,” Trump said in his acceptance speech, also thanking first lady Melania Trump.
FIFA credited Trump for brokering peace in multiple parts of the world. While the president has certainly contributed to brokering several agreements between long-standing foes, his role in securing fires in some of the conflicts he has boasted about ending has been disputed by some of the countries involved. That includes the conflict between India and Pakistan, which Trump mentioned in his acceptance speech.
The world soccer's governing body announced in November that this year will see the introduction of the award — a new annual accolade given to someone who FIFA says has taken “exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united people across the world.”
How the winner is chosen isn't exactly clear.
FIFA had remained tight-lipped over who would be bestowed the inaugural Peace Prize amid rumors it was destined for the US president.
CNN's Ben Church and Ivana Kottasová contributed to this report.
