Exclusive: FIFA rebuffs Zelensky’s request to share message of peace at World Cup final

A demand by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to share a message of world peace prior to kickoff at the World Cup last on Sunday has actually been rebuffed by FIFA, a source informed CNN.

The source stated Zelensky’s workplace is using to appear in a video link to fans in the arena in Qatar, ahead of the video game and was shocked by the unfavorable reaction. It’s uncertain if Zelensky’s message would be live, or taped.

” We believed FIFA wished to utilize its platform for the higher great,” the source stated.

Nevertheless, talks in between Ukraine and the sport’s governing body are still in progress, the source included. CNN has actually connected to FIFA for remark, however it did not right away react.

The demand, while unconventional, is unsurprising. Kyiv has actually consistently attempted to utilize significant world occasions, despite their style, to keep the international spotlight on the war in Ukraine.

Zelensky has actually appeared by means of video at whatever from the Group of 20 Countries top to the Grammys and the Cannes Movie Celebration. He’s likewise done interviews and discussions with a varied variety of reporters and popular performers, consisting of Sean Penn and David Letterman, using the beauty and media savvy he established in the show business– he was a star prior to ending up being a political leader– to rally assistance for Ukraine.

FIFA, nevertheless, has actually gone to severe length to keep political messaging out of its display competition in Qatar, the very first Middle Eastern country ever to stage the occasion.

Criticism of the rich Gulf state’s treatment of LGBTQ individuals and migrant employees grew louder in the weeks leading up to the World Cup. FIFA manager Gianni Infantino reacted with an explosive tirade quickly prior to the competition started, implicating Europe and the West of hypocrisy.

FIFA and 7 European countries later on concerned loggerheads over the danger of sanctions for any gamer using a “OneLove” captain’s armband throughout video games. The device includes a striped heart in various colors to represent all heritages, backgrounds, genders and sexual identities.

Hours prior to England captain Harry Kane was set up to use the armband versus Iran, FIFA stated any gamer using the armbands would get a yellow card, putting them in increased risk of being sent or prohibited from a later video game in the competition.

Grant Wahl, the famous American soccer reporter who unexpectedly passed away of a burst aortic aneurysm throughout the World Cup, stated in November that he was apprehended and briefly declined entry to a match due to the fact that he was using a rainbow tee shirt in assistance of LGBTQ rights.

At a press conference Friday, Infantino stated FIFA had actually stopped some “political declarations” in Qatar due to the fact that it needs to “look after everybody.”.

” We are a worldwide company and we do not victimize anybody,” Infantino stated.

” We are safeguarding worths, we are safeguarding human rights and rights of everybody at the World Cup. Those fans and the billions seeing on television, they have their own issues. They simply wish to view 90 or 120 minutes without needing to think of anything, however simply delighting in a little minute of satisfaction and delight. We need to provide a minute when they can forget their issues and take pleasure in football.”.