Fifa had pledged an apolitical event, but this was anything but.

On a snowy Friday at the prestigious John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, the football federation, in conjunction with the Trump administration, brought together celebrities, delegates from around the world, and almost the entirety of the president’s cabinet and family to watch the draw for the 2026 Fifa World Cup Finals.

The event was custom-made for US President Donald Trump.

“Mr. President… you definitely deserve the first Fifa Peace Prize for your action, for what you have obtained in your way, but you obtain it in an incredible way, and you can always count, Mr President, [on] my support and the support of the entire football community or soccer community to help you make peace and make the world prosper,” Fifa boss Gianni Infantino said, as he awarded Trump a gold medal, a certificate, and a gold trophy far bigger than the World Cup itself.

His remarks followed a video montage of Trump’s meeting with world leaders, praising him for - as he always puts it - “ending eight wars”.