FIFA denied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request to address the World Cup final.
Zelensky appealed to FIFA to allow him to film an address to the public during the World Cup final, CNN reported, to be held on Sunday. However, the world’s largest soccer organization was less than receptive, denying his request.
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A source familiar with the matter told the outlet that Zelensky’s plan was to appear via video link to the soccer fans in Qatar in order to share a message of “world peace.” The denial was met with disappointment from Zelensky’s office.
“We thought FIFA wanted to use its platform for the greater good,” the source told CNN.
Although coming as a shock to Zelensky’s office, the rebuff is hardly surprising — FIFA has gone above and beyond to avoid any political messaging during the World Cup.
“We are a global organization and we don’t discriminate against anyone,” FIFA boss Gianni Infantino said previously.
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“We are defending values, we are defending human rights and rights of everyone at the World Cup. Those fans and the billions watching on TV, they have their own problems. They just want to watch 90 or 120 minutes without having to think about anything, but just enjoying a little moment of pleasure and joy. We have to give them a moment when they can forget about their problems and enjoy football,” he added.
Zelensky has appeared in video messages to several previous high-profile events, including the Cannes Film Festival, the Grammys, the opening of the New York Stock Exchange, and the Group of 20 Nations summit.
