FIFA refuses to launch a speech by Zelenski in the run-up to the World Cup final, according to CNN

MADRID, 16 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

FIFA has rejected Ukraine's request that President Volodimir Zelensky deliver a speech on the screens of the Lusail stadium during the preview of the World Cup final on Sunday, according to sources from the US network CNN.

This refusal by the sports organization has surprised the Ukrainian Presidency, who thought that "FIFA wanted to use its platform for the common good", according to the aforementioned sources.

However, Ukraine and FIFA could still be in talks, so the decision seems not to be final yet.

Since the outbreak of the war, President Zelensky has delivered speeches -- live or recorded -- before numerous international bodies, including the parliaments of much of the international community.

Zelenski took advantage of his speeches to denounce the Russian invasion, which began at the end of February, and to ask the international community for a unanimous denunciation of his neighboring country's aggression against its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

For its part, FIFA's refusal to give rise to political rants is in line with its strategy throughout the World Cup in Qatar. The appointment has aroused criticism at the international level for the situation of Human Rights in the Gulf country.