FIFA turns down Zelensky's request to share message during World Cup final
Infantino says FIFA stopped some 'political statements' in Qatar because it has to 'take care of everyone'
FIFA rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request to share a message of peace during Sunday's World Cup final match between France and Argentina.
Zelensky’s office asked soccer’s international governing body to share a video with fans before Sunday’s game between Argentina and France but was rebuffed, according to CNN.
At a news conference Friday, FIFA chair Gianni Infantino said the body had stopped some “political statements” in Qatar because it has to “take care of everyone.”
FIFA has come under heavy fire after rights groups said thousands of foreign migrant workers died on construction projects across Qatar over the past decade and demanded a special compensation fund.
While the Ukrainian military is tenaciously against Russian invaders, Zelensky has waged an information war against the aggressors, having addressed Israeli and American parliaments, the G20 summit, the Grammy Awards and the Cannes Film Festival among others.
Speaking live by video link from the besieged capital of Kyiv, wearing a green t-shirt and sporting several days of stubble, he typically signs off with a clenched fist salute.