Fifa president Gianni Infantino has been urged by senior figures within the organization to either significantly reform or abolish the governing body's peace prize, following sustained criticism over its award to Donald Trump last year, according to reporting from the Guardian.

The matter came to a head during Thursday's Fifa council meeting, where multiple council members pressed for the prize's elimination while others argued it should be stripped of political associations. The council has tasked Fifa's football social responsibility committee with producing a formal recommendation ahead of the next scheduled council gathering in Doha on December 16.

Infantino opened Thursday's session by revealing that oversight of the peace prize had already been passed to the social responsibility committee. The topic resurfaced later in the meeting when council members raised broader questions concerning potential conflicts of interest within Fifa's operations.

According to sources familiar with the discussions, a significant number of council members now view the prize as compromised by its connection to Trump. There is particular unease that the American president might react negatively—and create diplomatic friction—should a future laureate not meet his approval, given his history of involvement with the award.

Despite the pressure for abolition, Fifa's 22-member social responsibility committee is reportedly composed largely of representatives aligned with Infantino, making outright cancellation politically awkward for the Fifa president. Nevertheless, there appears to be broad consensus that the prize cannot continue in its present form.

One council member indicated that the most probable path forward involves transforming the award into a recognition specifically for individuals within the football community who have made outstanding contributions to social cohesion and responsibility. Crucially, this reimagined prize would reportedly include an explicit clause barring political figures from eligibility.

The controversy touches on Fifa's own governing statutes. Article two of the organization's regulations explicitly forbids political or governmental interference in the sport—a provision many believe was violated when Trump received the honor, fueling much of the internal opposition that followed.

Fifa first unveiled the peace prize in November of last year, describing its purpose as honoring individuals who have undertaken remarkable actions in pursuit of peace and global unity. Trump became its inaugural recipient during the men's World Cup draw ceremony held in Washington the following December. Infantino personally presented the American leader with a gold trophy, an accompanying medal, and a certificate marking the achievement. However, the criteria and process used to select Trump for the honor have never been disclosed publicly, adding to the controversy surrounding the award.

As part of its upcoming review, the social responsibility committee is expected to establish clear and strict guidelines for any version of the prize that survives the current scrutiny. This would reportedly include developing transparent procedures for nominating and selecting future recipients—addressing one of the key criticisms that has dogged the award since its inception, namely the opacity surrounding how Trump came to be chosen in the first place.

The outcome of the committee's deliberations, due before the mid-December council meeting in Doha, will determine whether football's peace prize continues to exist at all, or whether it undergoes a fundamental transformation designed to insulate it from the political controversies that have defined its brief history so far.

Based on reporting from the Guardian.