The 81-year-old Pelé, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment, published his post at the same time as the Ukrainian national football team played the World Cup playoff against Scotland, won 3-1 and is ready for the playoff final on Sunday against Wales.
"Today, Ukraine is trying to forget, at least for 90 minutes, the tragedy that is engulfing their country.
Playing for a place in the World Cup is a difficult task - almost impossible when so many lives are at stake ", writes Pelé and comes with a call to the Russian president:
Stop the invasion.
There is absolutely no defense to continue the violence.
When we met earlier and exchanged smiles with a long handshake, I never thought we would later become as divided as we are now.
The power to end the conflict lies in your hands, the same hands that I shook in Moscow at our last meeting in 2017. "
Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.
According to the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, more than 4,000 civilians have been killed and almost 5,000 injured.