Beckham is the ‘face’ of the Qatar World Cup
David Beckham has been accused of hypocrisy for supporting gay footballer Jake Daniels while still accepting money to be the face of the World Cup in Qatar.
Attitude magazine has condemned the former Manchester United footballer for signing the deal after he offered his support to Blackpool player Daniels, who recently became the UK’s first male professional footballer since Justin Fashanu in 1990 to come out as gay.
In an Instagram post, Attitude wrote that Beckham was “keeping his money just about as far as possible from where his mouth is” and added that, “statement’s like David’s are more than hollow without any action to back them up”.
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It is thought that Beckham has been paid £10 million by the Qatari government to be the face of the World Cup later this year.
Beckham criticised for hypocrisy
The decision to hold the prestigious tournament in Qatar has been widely condemned, given its draconian laws on homosexuality and its restrictive attitude to women’s rights.
Speaking after 17-year-old Daniels’ announcement, Beckham said: “It’s a shame that when someone does come out that it’s such a strange thing. I’ve always felt that way about when someone does come out, it shouldn’t be. At the end of the day there will be a huge amount of gay people in sports, and why should they be any different from anyone else?”
However, Attitude responded with the post: “Beckham asks why gay people in sport should be any different to anyone else. One reason that David might consider is that in many places around the world queer people are not only marginalised and oppressed but also persecuted. One such place is Qatar, a country that he is about to become the face of.”
As reported by The Mail on Sunday, Beckham’s associates claim the 47-year-old is “satisfied” that changes have been made in Qatar.
Attitude claim Beckham’s statement is ‘hollow’
A spokesman for Attitude said: “Qatar is an extremely homophobic country where, under sharia law, men who have sexual relations with other men can be put to death. Other punishments include lifelong imprisonment and floggings.
“In April, a Qatari security official warned fans planning to travel out for the World Cup that rainbow flags [supporting the LGBTQ community] could be confiscated. Fans had previously been told this wouldn’t be the case.
“Statements like David’s are more than hollow without any action to back them up.”
The World Cup begins on November 21, with Senegal and the Netherlands kicking off the tournament.
Related links:
- Jake Daniels defends teammate Marvin Ekpiteta over historic homophobic tweets
- Josh Cavallo hails Jake Daniels’ bravery and says he is ‘very proud’
- David Beckham ‘agrees’ lucrative deal to become face of Qatar World Cup
