Shakhtar Donetsk Chief Sergei Palkin Demands FIFA Replaces Iran With Ukraine at 2022 World Cup

• Chief Executive Officer of Shakhtar Donetsk, Sergei Palkin has made a passionate appeal to the world governing body, FIFA
• Palkin has asked FIFA to throw out Iran from the soon-to-start 2022 FIFA World Cup, amid reports of supplying Russia with weapons to attack Ukraine
• Iran have been drawn in Group B alongside 1966 winners England, the United States of America and Wales

Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin has urged FIFA to eject Iran from the upcoming World Cup and replace them with Ukraine.

According to multiple reports, Iran is supplying Russia with weapons to attack Ukraine, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.

The latest development of the Russia-Ukraine war has seen widespread criticism of Iran, with many calling on world leaders to take punitive measures against the Middle East nation.

Throwing his weight behind the clarion call, Shakhtar chief Palkin has called for the world football governing body, FIFA to replace Iran with Ukraine at the 2022 World Cup in a statement released on the club's social media handles.

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"While the Iranian leadership will have fun watching their national team play at the World Cup, Ukrainians will be killed by Iranian drones and Iranian missiles," the statement read as quoted by Get French Football News.

"Shakhtar Football Club calls on FIFA and the entire international community to immediately ban Iran’s national team from playing at the World Cup, for the country’s direct participation in terrorist attacks on Ukrainians.

"This will be a fair decision that should draw the attention of the whole world to a regime that kills its best people and helps kill Ukrainians. The vacant place should be taken by the national team of Ukraine, which proved that it is worthy of participation in the World Cup."

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Earlier, Sports Brief reported that war-torn Ukraine will join Spain and Portugal in a bid to host the 2030 World Cup, as announced on Wednesday by presidents from the three countries' football associations.

The original proposal was made public two years ago, with the Spanish football association (RFEF) saying in a statement the idea was backed by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.

"The Royal Spanish Football Federation and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) have incorporated the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) into the Iberian Bid to organise the 2030 World Cup," RFEF said in a statement.