Russians hear FIFA Congress plea from Ukraine to end the war

By ROB HARRIS
AP Global Soccer Writer

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The appearance by video of the head of Ukrainian soccer, wearing an armored vest from the streets of Kyiv, brought the impact of Russia’s war into the FIFA Congress. Andriy Pavelko used a recorded message to the gathering in Qatar to talk about the deaths of footballers even as the sport “has taken a back seat in our country.” The gathering in Doha featured delegates from Russia, including Alexey Sorokin, the chief executive of Russia’s 2018 World Cup organizing committee.