Legendary Brazilian soccer player Pele poses for a portrait during an interview in New York, U.S., April 26, 2016. REUTERS\/Lucas Jackson<\/p>\n
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June 1 (Reuters) - Brazilian soccer legend Pele made a public plea on Wednesday to Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his \"wicked\" and \"unjustifiable\" invasion of Ukraine, minutes before Ukraine's national team played in a World Cup qualifying game.<\/p>\n
\"I want to use today's game as an opportunity to make a request: Stop this invasion. No argument exists that can justify violence,\" Pele said in a statement published on Instagram.<\/p>\n
\"This conflict is wicked, unjustifiable and brings nothing but pain, fear, terror and anguish.\"<\/p>\n
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Pele and Putin last met in Moscow in 2017 during the Confederations Cup, a championship held before the World Cup. The Russian leader has named Pele as one of his favorite players.<\/p>\n
\"When we met in the past and exchanged smiles accompanied by a long handshake, I never thought one day we would be as divided as we are today,\" wrote Pele, who served as Brazil's first minister of sports in the 1990s.<\/p>\n
Ukraine beat Scotland 3-1 on Wednesday to move one game away from qualifying for the World Cup.<\/p>\n
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked the team for \"two hours of happiness, something we have become unaccustomed to.\" read more <\/p>\n
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Reporting by Brendan O'Boyle; editing by Richard Pullin<\/p>\n
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.<\/p>\n
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Brazilian soccer icon Pele calls on Putin to stop 'wicked' Ukraine invasion - Reuters<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Legendary Brazilian soccer player Pele poses for a portrait during an interview in New York, U.S., April 26, 2016. REUTERS\/Lucas Jackson Register June 1 (Reuters) - Brazilian soccer legend Pele made a public plea on Wednesday to Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his \"wicked\" and \"unjustifiable\" invasion of Ukraine, minutes before Ukraine's national team played in a World Cup qualifying game. \"I want to use today's game as an opportunity to make a request: Stop this invasion Continue reading