Brazilian football legend, Pele has appealed to Russian President, Vladimir Putin to end his country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Pele posted the message on Instagram, ahead of Ukraine’s 2022 World Cup playoff semi-final against Scotland on Wednesday.
“There is absolutely no justification for this continued violence.
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“This conflict is wicked, unjustifiable and brings nothing but pain, fear, terror and anguish.
“Wars only exist to separate nations, and there’s no ideology that justifies projectile missiles burying the dreams of children, ruining families and killing the innocent,” he said.
Pele recalled a meeting with Putin in 2017 and added: “The power to stop this conflict is in your hands. The same ones I shook in Moscow, at our last meeting in 2017.”
Pele’s Life After Football
In 1994, Pelé was appointed a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. In 1995, Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso appointed Pelé to the position of Extraordinary Minister for Sport. During this time he proposed legislation to reduce corruption in Brazilian football, which became known as the “Pelé law.” The Brazilian President had eliminated the post of Sports Minister in 1998, In 2001 Pelé was accused of involvement in a corruption scandal that stole $700,000 from UNICEF.
It was claimed that money given to Pelé’s company for a benefit match was not returned after it was cancelled, although nothing was proven, and it was denied by UNICEF. In 1997, he received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace. Pelé also helped inaugurate the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, alongside supermodel Claudia Schiffer.
