David Beckham breaks silence on Qatar role after £150m criticism and still doubles down

Posted Saturday, November 19, 2022 by Dailystar.co.uk

As the World Cup gets ready to start this weekend, England legend David Beckham has taken a lot of flak for taking huge cash to be an ambassador at the Qatar competition this winter

David Beckham breaks silence on Qatar role after £150m criticism and still doubles down
David Beckham spoke to students in Doha ahead of the World Cup (Image: GETTY)

David Beckham has defended himself from criticism he has received for accepting mega money to be Qatar's ambassador at the World Cup this winter.

The Middle Eastern country has come under fire for his shocking human rights' record and crimes against homosexuality. Beckham, meanwhile, has signed a 10-year deal worth a reported £150million a year to work as the country's ambassador.

And in a video at a youth festival in Doha, the England icon said: "Qatar dreamed of bringing the World Cup to a place that it had never been before, but that it wouldn't be enough just to achieve things on the pitch. The pitch would be a platform for progress.

"Dreams can come true. That is why you are here. You share Generation Amazing's twin passions for the game of football and for making the world a more tolerant and inclusive place."

Beckham has been heavily criticised in recent times by LGBTQ+ groups, who have denounced the ex-winger for taking up a role in Qatar. Di Cunningham, co-founder of the Three Lions Pride group, insisted that he should no longer be regarded as an ally to their cause.

Comedian Joe Lycett also took a shot at the former Manchester United star by telling him that unless he quit his Qatari job, he would shred £10,000 in a week. However, Beckham appears to be unrelenting in his position, doubling down instead.

David Beckham breaks silence on Qatar role after £150m criticism and still doubles down
Comedian Joe Lycett publicly urged 'gay icon' David Beckham to drop his Qatar World Cup deal

"Every one of the great players I was lucky enough to play with started exactly the same way," he said. "In a back garden, park, or a street outside their home with just a ball and an imagination that they dared to let run wild.

"Almost two decades ago a small group of football lovers from Qatar had an equally fantastic dream: that they could bring the greatest football show on earth to their home country and to the Middle East for the very first time. And now we are here.

"Because when dreams are harnessed and mixed with dedication and hard work, they are no longer dreams. They become reality. I want to say to all of you, 'today is your day to dream'. Because there are no limits to what you and your teammates can achieve in our beautiful game."