David Beckham criticised for praising timing of Qatar World Cup

Qatar ambassador Beckham thinks the timing of the World Cup may be a good thing for England's players

David Beckham has been criticised for suggesting the unusual timing of next month's Qatar World Cup may be beneficial for England's players, who will not be coming into the tournament at the end of a lengthy season. After controversially being awarded to Qatar in 2010, it was announced by FIFA that the tournament would be moved from the summer to wintertime to avoid games being played in the searing summer temperatures. As a result, most of Europe's leagues have been forced to adjust their calendar. The Premier League is one of many that will take a break while the tournament takes place, resuming in late December. Speaking to Sky Sports, Beckham suggested this could be beneficial to Gareth Southgate's side. Having said England are capable of winning the tournament, the former Three Lions captain - an ambassador for Qatar who finished his playing career with a stint at Qatar Sports Investment-owned Paris Saint-Germain - said the players will be fresher than would normally be the case. "We've only played 25 games in the season," he said. "Players' energy levels are going to be up, they're not going to be injured, they're going to be ready for this competition. "They've not played 60 games in a season so I think they're going to be ready. "I think we have a big opportunity." https://twitter.com/SkyFootball/status/1577282639299387392 On social media, many suggested Beckham viewing the timing of the tournament in a positive light may have been influenced by his lucrative commercial deal with the state. https://twitter.com/mikeyfranklin/status/1577287245823766528 https://twitter.com/AdamCrafton_/status/1577286436520603648 https://twitter.com/PhilClement8/status/1577289394318458882 https://twitter.com/arigooner/status/1577292698792464386 Earlier this year Beckham received widespread criticism for appearing in his first advertisement for Qatar. Beckham had been urged by Amnesty International to use his "unique worldwide profile" to raise awareness around worker standards in the country, but instead he promoted Qatar as an "incredible place to spend a few days on a stopover" and saying the "modern and traditional fuse create something really special". Related links:

• Eric Cantona says David Beckham is making a ‘big mistake’ promoting Qatar World Cup
• David Beckham’s first Qatar commercial attracts widespread criticism
• Gary Neville criticised for filming David Beckham Overlap episode in Qatar