World Cup 2022: David Beckham breaks silence on Qatar deal
After being called out by a comedian, David Beckham has broken his silence on his mega deal to be the face of the Qatar World Cup.
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David Beckham claims the Qatar World Cup “has the power to be a force for good” after defending his $272 million deal to be the face of the finals.
The ex-England captain broke his silence in response to being called out by comedian Joe Lycett.
Lycett protested against Beckham’s $27.2 million-a-year agreement to be an ambassador for the emirate.
He went viral for his money-shredding stunt last month after he issued an ultimatum to Beckham for the Qatar deal, where homosexuality is illegal.
If Beckham did not pull out of the deal, Lycett said he would shred £10,000 ($18,187).
It was later revealed that Lycett had in fact donated it to an LGBTQ+ charity.
But 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.”
Revealing what really happened with the £10,000, Lycett said: “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.
“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.”
ARGENTINA PLAYERS SLAMMED FOR CHANT
By Matt Lawton, The Times
Argentina’s players celebrated their World Cup semi-final win over Croatia by singing a song that insults the English and references the Falklands War.
The Argentina squad, which includes five Premier League players, was seen chanting the words to the song in a video posted on the former Manchester City defender Nicolás Otamendi’s Instagram page after their 3-0 victory.
Translated, the key verse runs: “What happened, Brazil? The shrivelling five-times champion.
“Messi went to Rio and clinched the Copa. We are the Argentina army and we will always sing because we dream of being world champions.
The Argentina dressing room after their win against Croatia #FIFAWorldCuppic.twitter.com/JuDmFSJZdV
— Roberto Rojas (@RobertoRojas97) December 13, 2022
“That’s how I am, I’m Argentinian. The English f*****s from the Falklands I don’t forget. That’s how I am, I come to sing and I follow Argentina everywhere.”
The word putos, which is used to describe the English, can have homophobic connotations.
The communications officer for the Argentina squad was approached for comment but had not responded at the time of going to press.
Four of the Argentina starting XI play for Premier League clubs, and the video shows Manchester United’s Lisandro Martínez and City’s Julián Álvarez participating in a song that has become an anthem for Argentina fans.
After a shock defeat by Saudi Arabia in their opening group game, Argentina have recovered to reach the final — in no small part thanks to five goals from their talisman, Lionel Messi. He scored a penalty to give Argentina the lead against Croatia, before two goals from Álvarez sealed their place in the final.
Originally published on The Times
Originally published as World Cup 2022: David Beckham breaks silence on Qatar deal
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