FIFA President Gianni Infantino has issued a plea for a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine for the duration of the 2022 World Cup, calling for all sides to use the tournament as a “positive trigger” to work towards a resolution.
Speaking during a lunch on Tuesday with leaders of the G20 major economies on the Indonesian island of Bali, Infantino said the month-long World Cup, which starts in Qatar on Sunday, offered a unique platform for peace.
Russia reached the quarterfinals of the last World Cup in 2018 but has been barred from this tournament over its invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine came close to qualifying for Qatar but lost out to Wales in a deciding playoff in June.
Infantino said that as many as 5.5 billion people are expected to watch this year’s tournament, adding that it could give a message of hope toward reaching peace.
