World Cup-bound Socceroos midfielder Jackson Irvine has taken aim at Fifa and the US over the governing body’s awarding of a peace prize to President Donald Trump, heightening tensions ahead of a tournament already weighed down by geopolitical pressures and controversial pricing.
Irvine has previously captained Australia and is on track to appear at his third World Cup after recovering from a foot injury. As a member of the global players’ union Fifpro, Irvine holds a senior advocacy role.
The 33-year-old becomes the leading critic of Fifa among current players after telling Reuters on Wednesday that giving a peace prize to Trump went against the principles of football’s governing body, which has broad human rights obligations.
“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 said.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino defended the decision in February, telling Sky News of Trump’s role securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. “Objectively, he deserves it,” Infantino said.
In a statement, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said: “There is no one else in the world more deserving of Fifa’s first ever peace prize than President Trump. Anyone who thinks otherwise clearly suffers from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Irvine’s comments inflame an already simmering buildup to the tournament. Inflated ticket and transport prices have drawn the ire of fans, and the war in the Middle East has layered a complex diplomatic environment over Iran’s involvement in the tournament, while concerns over human rights within the US are increasing.
Trump was awarded the prize at the World Cup draw in December, when Infantino said: “This is what we want from a leader; a leader that cares about the people.” Since Trump received the award, the US has undertaken major military actions in Venezuela and Iran.
“Decisions like [awarding Trump the peace prize] 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,” Irvine said.
The Australian has a history of sharing his opinions on human rights issues, and encouraged players to express themselves at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Alongside Socceroos colleagues, he issued a collective statement raising concerns about the “suffering” of migrant workers in Qatar and the inability of LGBTI+ people “to love the person that they choose”.
He said this week he also has concerns for LGBTI+ communities in the US. “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.”
Fifa has yet to decide whether players can wear armbands during this year’s World Cup to express support for social causes. Irvine said he has sympathy for players who choose to keep their opinions private, given the highly polarised political environment.
“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.”
In 2023, Irvine told the Guardian: “We want to use the game as a driving force for good”. He is currently involved in a relegation battle with Bundesliga club St Pauli but is in line to make the Socceroos World Cup squad.
Fifa was approached for comment.