How did FIFA become part of Trump’s Gaza reconstruction effort?

FIFA has stepped into the politics of Gaza’s postwar reconstruction, signing an agreement Thursday with US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace to support recovery efforts through football infrastructure and youth development programs.

The partnership, announced at the board’s inaugural meeting in Washington, marks one of FIFA’s most ambitious interventions in a conflict-affected region to date.

The Board of Peace was announced by Trump last September as part of his plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza against Hamas. Trump said the board would prioritize Gaza’s postwar recovery and then work to solve other global conflicts.

Details: FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Gaza Executive Board of Peace member Yakir Gabay, High Representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov and Chief Commissioner of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza Ali Shaath signed the soccer deal at the meeting.

The FIFA partnership includes building five full-size pitches across multiple districts, a state-of-the-art FIFA academy and a 20,000-seat national stadium as well as 50 mini-pitches near schools and residential areas in Gaza.

"Today, FIFA and the Board of Peace have signed a landmark partnership agreement that will foster investment into football for the purpose of helping the recovery process in post conflict areas," Infantino said in a statement.

Alongside construction, the program will prioritize job creation, vocational skills training, youth participation and organized leagues for boys and girls, as well as community engagement and the stimulation of local commercial activity, FIFA said. 

The plan will be implemented in four phases over 36 months, and its agenda will proceed “in line with ongoing monitoring of safety and security conditions,” according to the statement.

The plans hinge on the ceasefire condition that the Palestinian militant group Hamas lays down its weapons, which it hasn't yet done.

Why it matters: The deal positions the global soccer body as an unlikely actor in a highly politicized reconstruction process. Although FIFA has been involved in humanitarian and development projects in conflict-hit countries, it does not typically lead broad national reconstruction plans in the way development banks and UN agencies do.

In the Middle East, FIFA has funded the rebuilding of soccer infrastructure such as training pitches in Iraq after its 2003 war and after the Islamic State group fell in 2017. The soccer association has also provided development funding for training centers, refereeing programs and league administration in Lebanon.

However, Trump's Board of Peace has been polarizing, winning praise from the president's allies but being criticized by some countries that say it could undermine the work of the United Nations, which is meant to serve a similar function. There have also been concerns about transparency and accountability regarding how Gaza’s reconstruction and governance decisions will be made.

Board member states are limited to three-year terms unless they contribute $1 billion each to fund the board’s activities and secure permanent membership. According to the board’s X account, 27 countries are listed as founding members. Several are Middle Eastern states, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Israel’s inclusion as a founding member has drawn criticism, while Palestine is not part of the group.

Kaja Kallas, the European Union's head of foreign policy, told the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 13 that the Board of Peace was a personal vehicle for Trump that removed any accountability to Palestinians and the United Nations.

Also speaking at the conference, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares accused Trump of trying to bypass the original UN mandate for the board and said that Europe, one of the chief funders of the Palestinian Authority, had been excluded from the process.

Know more: Infantino has increasingly appeared alongside Trump during high-profile political and sporting events. The FIFA president attended the Sharm El Sheikh peace summit in October, where Trump announced the Gaza ceasefire framework and outlined early plans for postwar reconstruction.

The two have since shared several public appearances tied to the 2026 World Cup — which is being held in the US, Canada and Mexico — and international diplomacy, including Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025 and meetings linked to FIFA events in Washington and at the World Economic Forum in Davos. 

In December 2025, Infantino presented Trump with FIFA’s Peace Prize at the World Cup 2026 final draw in Washington, a new award recognizing what FIFA described as “exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and unity.”

Simon Chadwick, professor of AfroEurasian sport at France’s Emlyon Business School, pointed out that Infantino was first elected the president of world soccer’s governing body in 2016 based upon his promises to improve standards of governance.

“However, transparency and openness are increasingly and sadly lacking, especially when it comes to FIFA’s relationship with the Gaza Peace Board,” Chadwick told Al-Monitor.

On Friday, International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said she was unaware Infantino's presence at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting and vowed to investigate the matter.

"Now that you guys [journalists] made us aware of it we will go back and have a look at it," Coventry said during a press conference at the Winter Olympics in Italy. "The IOC Charter is very clear what it expects of its members. We will go and research into the alleged signing of documents."