FIFA will lead efforts to raise a $75 million fund to rebuild football facilities in Gaza destroyed during the war between Israel and Hamas, US President Donald Trump and the sport’s governing body said on Thursday.
Trump announced the initiative in Washington at the first meeting of his “Board of Peace”, a newly formed body comprising several close allies and initially focused on reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.
“I’m also pleased to announce that FIFA will be helping to raise a total of $75 million for projects in Gaza,” Trump said.
“And I think they’re football-related, where you’re doing fields and you’re getting the greatest stars in the world to go there—people that are bigger stars than you and I, Gianni,” he added, referring to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who attended the event.
“We’ll soon be detailing the announcement, and if I can, I’ll get over there with you,” Trump said.
Later on Thursday, FIFA issued a statement outlining plans to build a football academy, a new 20,000-seat national stadium and dozens of pitches across Gaza.
The organisation’s statement did not reference Trump’s $75 million figure, instead noting that funding would be raised “from international leaders and institutions".
Infantino, who has cultivated close ties with Trump, previously presented him with an inaugural FIFA “Peace Prize” at the World Cup draw in December.
At Thursday’s meeting, the FIFA president wore a red baseball cap bearing the words “USA” and “45-47”, a reference to Trump’s two terms in office.
In its statement, FIFA described the initiative as “a landmark partnership agreement that will foster investment into football for the purpose of helping the recovery process in post-conflict areas.”
The “Board of Peace” was formed after the Trump administration, working alongside Qatar and Egypt, brokered a ceasefire in October to end two years of conflict in Gaza.
The United States has since said it is focused on disarming Hamas, the Palestinian militant group whose unprecedented attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 triggered Israel’s large-scale military offensive.
