Standing beside Donald Trump, Gianni Infantino might have caught some off guard at Gaza’s peace summit in Egypt today. However, the FIFA president has been increasingly active in the Israel-Hamas conflict, fostering a rapport with the US President and consistently backing Israel. Just last week, he urged football to aid peace initiatives in the Middle East as Israel prepared for two World Cup qualifiers. The 2026 finals will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This development coincides with Israel and Hamas reaching a ceasefire beginning Friday, leading to the release of the remaining 20 Israeli hostages today—two years after their abduction during Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023. ‘Now there is a ceasefire, and that is a reason for everyone to be content. Supporting this process is essential,’ Infantino said to reporters at the European Football Clubs General Assembly in Rome last week. ‘Those responsible for brokering these steps have delivered, and now it’s up to everyone to back it.

‘This goes beyond football but includes it as well.’ Meanwhile, the FIFA chief suggested Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize after the war in Gaza paused due to the US-brokered ceasefire. During his opening remarks at the European Football Clubs General Assembly, he emphasized the significance of ending the conflict and praised Trump, with whom he has forged a close relationship, as the USA is set to co-host the World Cup next year.

‘Congratulations to the USA and President Donald J. Trump, as well as Qatar, Egypt, Türkiye, and all countries that contributed to the ceasefire and the initial phase of the Middle East peace process,’ Infantino shared on Instagram. ‘The news of peace brings renewed hope globally, and everyone should wholly endorse this peace effort. President Donald J. Trump undoubtedly merits the Nobel Peace Prize for his decisive actions.’

‘Unity indeed surfaced as a principal theme at the European Football Clubs General Assembly, and although it does not relate directly to football, I began my remarks by expressing my satisfaction upon hearing about these positive developments in the Middle East.’

The Israeli hostages, finally freed from Hamas, appeared visibly altered as they reunited with their families after spending 738 days in Gaza today. They have been returned following the Trump-led agreement between Israel and Hamas, aimed at concluding the catastrophic war in Gaza that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

In emotional scenes, captives reunited with parents, families, friends and loved ones. Families, who have spent every day since October 7 fighting for their release from gruelling captivity in the enclave’s underground tunnel network, gathered in anticipation as tears flowed and hugs were exchanged. ‘After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent and the sirens are still,’ Trump said in a historic speech at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

But the brutal reality of two years in captivity was apparent amid a day of joy, with the hostages now looking radically different from the photographs taken before they were seized on October 7 two years ago. Behind the smiles, some appear to have dramatically lost weight, while others appear frail. Their new appearance tells the story of every day they spent underground in fear of Hamas doing to them what they did to the 1,195 people slaughtered two years ago, in what has now been known as Israel’s darkest day.