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Poland national football team striker and captain Robert Lewandowski wears an armband in the colors of the Ukrainian flag at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as a sign of support for Ukraine, which has been wounded by war in the Russian invasion.
"I am honored to wear the Ukrainian-colored captain's armband at the World Cup," Lewandowski posted on social media a picture of him meeting Ukrainian football hero Andriy Shevchenko.
In a video released by the Laureus Foundation, where Shevchenko is an ambassador, Shevchenko met Lewandowski at the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, handed him an armband and even filled it himself.
Lewandowski has been openly expressing solidarity, such as wearing the Ukrainian flag-colored armband in Bundesliga matches while playing for World Cup qualifiers in Qatar or Bayern Munich, Germany.
"As a player and a man, I support peace and I believe these symbolic gestures are important," he said on social media Laureus.
Poland, led by Lewandowski, refused to play Russia in the World Cup European qualifier play-off semi-final match against Russia after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
In the group stage of the World Cup, they will compete against Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Mexico in Group C.
Ukraine defeated Scotland in the semifinals of the European playoffs, postponed to June in the aftermath of the war, but lost to Wales in the final, the final, and failed to qualify.
"When I was captain of Ukraine, the armband meant everything to me. It was a symbol of leadership, strength and passion for the country," Shevchenko said. The relationship is special," he said.
Shevchenko scored 48 goals in 111 matches for Ukraine national team from 1995 to 2012 and held the record for the most goalscorer, winning the Ballon d'Or in 2004.
From 2016 to last year he also served as the head coach of the Ukrainian national team.
(Photo = Lewandowski Twitter capture, Yonhap News)