Ask Putin To Stop The Invasion Of Ukraine, Pele: We Met In The Past And Exchanged Smiles, Never Thought We Would Be As Divided As Now

Pele (Instagram @pele)

JAKARTA - Brazilian football legend Pele made a public appeal on Wednesday to Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the invasion of Ukraine.

This was revealed by Pele just minutes before the Ukrainian national team played in a World Cup qualifying match.

"I want to use today's match as an opportunity to make a request: Stop this invasion. No argument can justify violence," Pele said in a statement published on Instagram.

"This conflict is evil, unjustified and brings nothing but pain, fear, terror and suffering."

Pele and Putin last met in Moscow in 2017 during the Confederations Cup, the championship held before the World Cup. The Russian leader named Pele as one of his favorite players.

"When we met in the past and exchanged smiles accompanied by long handshakes, I never thought that one day we would be as divided as we are today," wrote Pele, who served as Brazil's first sports minister in the 1990s.

Ukraine beat Scotland 3-1 on Wednesday to move one game away from World Cup qualifiers.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked his country's team for the win.

"Two hours of happiness, something we are not used to," said the president.