The FIFA President announced on Thursday a partnership between the International Football Association and the Peace Commission.
Gianni Infantino’s announcement was made during a board meeting in Washington and included an artificial intelligence-generated video depicting a soccer stadium rising from the rubble in Gaza.
“This is a universal language spoken by 6 billion people, 6 billion fans who feel the same way,” Infantino said. “Mr. President [Donald Trump]The world will be united here this summer during the World Cup, but if we really want to unite the world, we need peace. ”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held this summer in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
A video that followed Infantino’s comments showed what appeared to be his vision for Gaza: children playing soccer on a bright green pitch, a multiethnic crowd cheering the players, and people chatting as they walked past newly constructed buildings.
The video’s narrator said FIFA aims to “make football a bridge to peace, dignity and hope” and stressed that “a complete football ecosystem will be created” in Gaza.
It added that FIFA and the peace committee will build pitches, arenas, academies and stadiums, including a national stadium with a capacity of 25,000 fans, at a cost of $50 million. The video said the creation of the league and pitch construction would also promote community development and job creation.
“We need to do something. Everyone has to support peace,” Infantino said. “For this we all have to contribute. That is why FIFA also wants to contribute. We must not only rebuild homes, schools, hospitals and roads, but also rebuild and build people, emotions, hopes and trust. And this is the essence of my sport, football.”
The FIFA chief joined delegations from dozens of other countries meeting to discuss aid and reconstruction for Gaza.
Five countries are contributing tens of thousands of troops to international security forces, the council heard, and the city of Rafah will be completely rebuilt within three years, with the enclave’s coastline being redeveloped as a new “Mediterranean Riviera”.
Participants also heard that more than 2,000 people have applied to join the new Interim Palestinian Police Force in the Gaza Strip, and that several counties have collectively raised more than $17 billion in relief funds for the Gaza Strip.
