Washington DC - FIFA chief Gianni Infantino defended his controversial decision to award a peace prize to President Donald Trump as he dismissed calls for a World Cup boycott.

Infantino was widely criticized for giving Trump the honor on behalf of his governing body at the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington DC in December.

The move drew further scrutiny after US forces seized Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, while Trump caused more controversy with his desire to acquire Greenland for national security reasons.

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However, Infantino insisted Trump was deserving of FIFA's inaugural peace prize, telling Sky News on Monday: "Objectively, he deserves it.

"Whatever we can do to help peace in the world, we should be doing it, and for this reason, for some time we were thinking we should do something to reward people who do something."

Infantino rejected suggestions there might be a boycott of this year's World Cup – to be held in the US, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19 – due to policies adopted at home and abroad by the Trump administration.

There has been unrest in a number of US cities, most notably Minneapolis, over the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown.

But FIFA president Infantino said there were never calls for businesses to boycott a country, "so why football?"

The 55-year-old added: "In our divided world, in our aggressive world, we need occasions where people can come, can meet around the passion [for soccer]."