Pele, the Brazilian soccer great, requested Russian President Vladimir Putin to quit his invasion of Ukraine only minutes before Ukraine's national team played in a World Cup qualification match.What Happened: On Meta Platforms Inc's (NASDAQ: FB) social media platform Instagram, former Brazilian professional footballer Pelé published a statement calling for Russia's "wicked" and "unjustifiable" invasion of Ukraine to be ended."I'd want to take advantage of today's game to make a request: Please, no further invasions." He stated in the statement that "no rationale exists that may justify violence."
"This fight is heinous, unjustified, and causes nothing but suffering, anxiety, horror, and sorrow."
Pele, who is 81 years old, also recalled meeting Putin in Moscow at the 2017 Confederations Cup. Pele was a favorite soccer player of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the time.
"I never believed one day we would be as divided as we are today when we met in the past and exchanged grins accompanied by a long handshake," Pele wrote.
Ukraine beat Scotland 3-1 on Wednesday to come one step closer to qualifying for the World Cup. On Sunday, the war-torn country will meet Wales for the last spot in Group B.
Why It Matters: The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has now lasted almost three months. More than a month after Russian troops withdrew, residents of a village north of Kyiv said they are still unearthing remains.
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