The Brazilian football legend, Pele, has urged President Vladimir Putin to end his country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Pele posted the message on Instagram, ahead of Ukraine’s 2022 World Cup playoff semi-final against Scotland on Wednesday.

“There is absolutely no justification for this continued violence."

“This conflict is wicked, unjustifiable, and brings nothing but pain, fear, terror, and anguish.

“Wars only exist to separate nations, and there’s no ideology that justifies projectile missiles burying the dreams of children, ruining families and killing the innocent,” he said.

Pele recalled a meeting with Putin in 2017 and added: “The power to stop this conflict is in your hands." The same ones I shook in Moscow, at our last meeting in 2017.”