Tavia Hunt just recapped a big night for soccer. From the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt used her Instagram to spotlight President Donald Trump’s FIFA Peace Prize, tying it to faith and national identity. 

In her post, Hunt called it “an incredible day at the Kennedy Center in D.C. for the World Cup Draw,” and shared her excitement for the tournament to come to the United States. Kansas City will notably host 6 matches next year (4 group stages and two tournaments, including the quarterfinals). Dallas also gets its spotlight with 9 games (6 group stages and three tournaments, including the semi-finals). But her biggest shoutout came to Donald Trump. 

“Congratulations to President Trump on receiving the FIFA Peace Prize, recognizing his extraordinary efforts to promote peace and unity globally,” she wrote on her post. “With the World Cup bringing the nations to us–may we steward this moment well and share the hope of Christ with all who come.” 

Tavia Hunt has emerged as one of the more outspoken figures connected to NFL ownership, previously echoing Trump’s positions on conservative issues, including immigration, and drawing strong reactions from both supporters and critics. In a league where most owners and their families prefer neutral public profiles, Hunt has leaned into visibility.

The stage made her words even louder. Trump received FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize, a one-of-a-kind annual honor to be awarded “to individuals who, through their unwavering commitment and their special actions, have helped to unite people all over the world in peace and consequently deserve a special and unique recognition.” Tavia Hunt’s Instagram effectively amplified the evening for an NFL-focused and Kansas City-centric audience as well.

For the Hunts, the World Cup also carries clear business stakes. With games headed to Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City gets the promise of immense international attention, tourism revenue, and another showcase for one of the NFL’s loudest venues.

While Hunt was publicly congratulating Trump and framing the night as a chance for unity, the POTUS used the same stage to question something core to her family’s world: the very name of American football. For a league that defines Kansas City Sundays, that’s where the story pivots.

Donald Trump brings up the soccer vs football debate

During his address at the FIFA World Cup draw, President Donald Trump made the case that the word “football” truly belongs to soccer, and not American Football, as we call it.

“When you look at what has happened to football in the United States, which is soccer in the United States, we seem to never call it [football] because we have a little bit of a conflict with another thing that’s called football,” Trump said. “But when you think about it, shouldn’t it really be called … this is football, there’s no question about it. We have to come up with another name for the NFL. It really doesn’t make sense when you think about it.”

Mostly an international crowd responded, used to “football” meaning only the global game. It sounded like a half-joke, half-challenge, but it immediately reignited the old “football versus soccer” debate in sports circles.

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But can a name-change really happen? Donald Trump has also previously spoken about changing the name of the Washington Commanders’ stadium and even the team’s name before that. But changing the league’s name is not the same. The league is a multi-billion-dollar brand embedded in American language and culture. Trump’s comments may have been about planting a flag on a night FIFA built in his honor, complete with a custom Peace Prize and global audience, but the debate isn’t going to go away anytime soon.

The Kennedy Center night told a layered story. Tavia Hunt used her platform to congratulate Donald Trump. She also celebrated Kansas City’s World Cup role and framed the moment through faith, as always. Trump, meanwhile, used his platform to question the name of the league that fuels the Chiefs’ empire. With the World Cup coming to Arrowhead, all those threads – language, religion, and sport – will all be in the background when the world shows up in Kansas City.