Andriy Shevchenko, the first Ukrainian to win the Champions League, winner of the Ballon d’Or, top scorer of the Ukrainian national team and now its brilliant coach, has been actively involved in supporting his native country since the first days of the full-scale invasion.
In May 2022, Shevchenko became the first UNITED24 ambassador upon the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“I couldn’t think about anything else but what is happening in Ukraine. We were sending humanitarian aid and arranging fundraisings with the guys who played in England – Zinchenko and Yarmolenko – and created the Play Your Part for Ukraine platform to raise funds to help children, women and the elderly fleeing the war. England, Italy, America — I was constantly traveling around looking for support. However, it seemed to be not enough. I remember a meeting in Trafalgar Square, where I went with my family. Blue and yellow colors were all around, and I thought that the full-scale war had done what the athletes had been trying to achieve for 30 years — fill the world with Ukrainian flags. Unfortunately, it cost us way too much,” says Andriy.
In these last 10 months of UNITED24 operation, Shevchenko has taken part in a dozen charity projects, starting with the latest batch of bracelets from Azovstal and ending with a fundraiser for hospital generators. He has also organized charity events in London and Milan that have raised more than €800,000 in support of Ukraine.
At the moment, Shevchenko is engaged in the reconstruction of the destroyed stadium in Irpin.
