FIFA denied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s desire to address the globe before Sunday’s World Cup final match.
According to the source, Zelensky’s staff offered to make a video appearance to fans in the stadium in Qatar before the game and was astonished by the negative response. When or whether Zelensky would deliver his message is unknown.
We had the impression that FIFA was looking to do good with its platform, the person stated.
However, the source stressed that negotiations are still ongoing between Ukraine and the sport’s governing body.
This is a nonstandard request, although it is not unexpected. Kyiv has often tried to capitalize on global events of varying themes in an effort to focus attention on the conflict in Ukraine.
Zelensky has made video appearances at a wide variety of events, including the Group of 20 summits, the Grammy Awards, and the Cannes Film Festival.
To further garner support for Ukraine, he has engaged in interviews and conversations with a wide range of journalists and notable entertainers, like Sean Penn and David Letterman, drawing on the charisma and media acumen he honed as an actor before switching careers to politics.
