Former England captain David Beckham has been criticised for the role he has played in the promotion of the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, with an LGBT fan group in particular speaking out
Former England captain David Beckham has been the target of severe criticism from an LGBT+ fans group for his decision to become a paid ambassador for the Qatar World Cup.
Preparations for the tournament are close to being finalised with the opening match between the hosts and Ecuador scheduled to take place in just 10 days’ time. A number of prominent former players have been promoting the World Cup itself despite an array of contentious issues – ex England captain Beckham being among those.
The nation’s criminalisation of homosexuality, as well as major human rights violations, have led to many to criticise the awarding of the tournament. Di Cunningham, co-founder of Three Lions Pride, has criticised ambassadors including Beckham for their role in promotion of the World Cup.
She said: “One of the difficulties we’re having is people taking the money in order to promote Qatar, to promote the World Cup.