After being widely criticised for taking up a role in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, David Beckham has finally broken his silence.
It was reported that the former England captain had struck a £150million deal with Qatari officials to be a main ambassador for the tournament.
His decision to be heavily linked to a country which has been controversial to say the least has been met with backlash from football fans.
With underlying issues of homosexual criminalisation, various human rights abuses as well as suspicious bids, there's no wonder why 'Brand Becks' landed itself in hot water.
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Now the 47-year-old has spoken out on the matter, insisting the World Cup in Qatar "has the power to be a force for good".
A spokesperson for Beckham said: “David has been involved in a number of World Cups and other major international tournaments both as a player and an ambassador and he has always believed that sport has the power to be a force for good in the world.
"Football, the most popular sport globally, has a genuine ability to bring people together and make a real contribution to communities.
"We understand that there are different and strongly held views about engagement in the Middle East but see it as positive that debate about the key issues has been stimulated directly by the first World Cup being held in the region.
"We hope that these conversations will lead to greater understanding and empathy towards all people and that progress will be achieved.”
One of Beckham's most vocal critics was Joe Lycett.
The British comedian made headlines around the world when he issued Beckham an ultimatum over his role.
Lycett said that if Beckham did not pull out of his lucrative multi-year deal, he would shred £10,000 in cash.
With Beckham remaining in the Gulf State, people began to wonder what ever happened to the money – well, now we have an answer.
"I haven’t quite told you the whole truth – the truth is the money that went into the shredder was real, but the money that came out was fake. I would never destroy real money," Lycett revealed.
"I would never be so irresponsible, in fact, the 10 grand had already been donated to LGBTQ+ charities before I even pressed send on the initial tweet last week.
"I never expected to hear from you, it was an empty threat designed to get people talking."
Topics: Football, David Beckham, Qatar, Football World Cup
Max Sherry