FIFA will lead efforts to raise $75 million to rebuild football facilities in Gaza damaged during the war between Israel and Hamas, according to Donald Trump and the sport’s governing body.
Trump made the announcement in Washington during the first meeting of his newly formed “Board of Peace,” a group made up of several close allies and initially focused on reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip. He said FIFA would help mobilise funding for football-related projects, including rebuilding pitches and attracting global stars to support the initiative. FIFA president Gianni Infantino was present at the event.
Later on Thursday, FIFA released a statement outlining plans for a football academy, a new 20,000-seat national stadium, and dozens of playing fields across Gaza. The statement did not reference the $75 million figure mentioned by Trump but noted that funding would be raised from international leaders and institutions.
Infantino described the agreement as a landmark partnership aimed at encouraging investment in football to aid recovery in post-conflict areas.
The “Board of Peace” was formed after the Trump administration, working alongside Qatar and Egypt, helped broker a ceasefire in October following two years of conflict in Gaza. The United States has since said its focus is on efforts to disarm Hamas, the Palestinian militant group whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered a major military response.
