"I was shocked by what I saw, I am worried and concerned about this situation. Fifa condemns Russia's use of force. Violence is never a solution. We call on all actors to restore peace through constructive dialogue", said the leader at a press conference, while Russia is to host one or even two World Cup-2022 play-off meetings on March 24 and 29.
"Fifa will continue to monitor the situation and developments in relation to World Cup qualifying matches will be communicated in due course," the body said in a statement.
The federations of the three countries likely to go to Russia at the end of March during the World Cup play-offs, Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic, had jointly asked, in a press release published a little earlier, to relocate these meetings.
UEFA, the European football confederation, had already "strongly condemned the Russian military invasion" in Ukraine earlier in the day, before convening an extraordinary executive committee on Friday (10:00 a.m.), in particular to study the fate of the final of the Champions League, scheduled for St. Petersburg on May 28.
Calls for relocation have come from European leaders, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is opposed to holding the event in Russia.
© 2022 AFP