Ukraine criticizes FIFA for refusing to show Zelensky's speech at World Cup Final
Ukraine criticized FIFA for refusing its proposal to show a video message from President Volodymyr Zelensky in Qatar's Lusail Stadium ahead of the World Cup final on Sunday.
Zelensky requested FIFA to share a video copy of his pre-recorded speech titled "appeal for peace" prior to kickoff at the World Cup final on Sunday, and the football governing body rebuffed it, reports CNN.
"Qatar supported the President's initiative, but FIFA blocked the initiative and will not allow the video address of the president to be shown before the final game," the Ukraine president's official statement said.
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Ukraine's presidential office also said it will distribute the video independently if FIFA doesn't air it and said their decision to block it would show "FIFA has lost its valuable understanding of soccer – as a game that unites peoples, rather than supporting existing divisions."
Both FIFA and Qatar have not commented about the matter.
According to CNN, they received a pre-recorded video clip, and here Zelensky says soccer is meant to bring the world together and calls for "the World Cup, but not world war."
"This World Cup proved time again that different countries and nationalities can decide who is the strongest in the fair play but not in the playing with fire, on the green playing field and not on the red battlefield," Ukraine's president says in the video.
"FIFA should not be afraid that words of peace will be heard at the global soccer celebration that represents peace," the statement said.
