Former Chelsea and AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko has revealed that he was close to being hit by a Russian drone strike in Ukraine.
Shevchenko is currently in Doha as he is one of the many guests FIFA have invited for the 2022 World Cup.
The former Ballon d’Or winner will be present at the Lusail Stadium on Sunday as France and Argentina battle for glory.
Whilst speaking to Sky Sports about the war in his homeland Ukraine, Shevchenko revealed that he was close to being hit by Russian strikes at the end of last month.
He said: “Yeah, I was very close to one.
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“About 2km from the strike. One of the electric central generators (was hit) like we all know the Russians are trying to hit the critical infrastructure. The feeling (from the explosion) was very strong.”
Shevchenko added: “When I move to the war zone I know this could happen.
“It is an incredible feeling when you go there. The people are suffering but they are very united. We know what we have to do, we know how to survive, we know we have to be united together.”
Despite being in Doha, Shevchenko is still hosting meetings with influential politicians from around the world in order to campaign for more support for Ukrainians after the invasion by Russia.
On the World Cup, Shevchenko admitted it would be a fairytale ending if Lionel Messi came out victorious.
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He said: “A player like him deserves to win the World Cup.
“It's going to be a great story - not just what he has done in his career but how he is playing right now. He is an absolute leader, playing great games, scoring good goals and making the passes for his partners. He is a real leader and captain.”
France vs Argentina will kick off at 3pm UK time on Sunday.
Who do you think will win the World Cup?
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Let us know in the comments.
Marcus Chan