David Beckham has signed a million dollar deal with Qatar. According to a media report, he will be the face of the controversial World Cup, which will be held in the emirate in 2022. The ex-soccer star is said to collect the equivalent of around 180 million.
David Beckham is to become the symbol of the controversial World Cup in Qatar. As the British tabloid reports, he has signed a ten-year contract for a total of around 180 million euros. According to the paper, Beckham should also act as an ambassador to promote tourism and culture in the country. The ex-Manchester United soccer player is set to be officially unveiled next month.
There has been an extreme construction offensive in Qatar since the rights to host the World Cup were awarded. The country is repeatedly criticized for human rights violations and poor working conditions. The venue of Qatar is highly controversial. However, Beckham was given assurances that fans in the emirate would be safe and allowed to fly rainbow flags in the stadiums.
David Beckham believes in “serious engagement”
In early October Beckham flew to Doha, the capital of Qatar, for a week to visit stadiums. He was also informed about the increasing proportion of women in government. A spokesman for Beckhams told the: “David has been visiting Qatar regularly for over a decade and later played for PSG (the club has been owned by the Qatari state fund” Qatar Sports Investments “for ten years). So he has a passion for football in this country and seen the long-term commitment that was made to hosting the World Cup and creating a lasting legacy for the region. “
A source close to the ex-professional footballer is said to have said that he considers the first World Cup in a predominantly Muslim country important for the region and positive change. It is also said to have said: “Of course David wanted to make sure he was informed of the facts and any concerns he might have for football fans, his gay friends and his fans.” Some of the laws and beliefs in Qatar are different from those of the ex-professional footballer, but he believes the commitment is serious. Beckham saw evidence of a proactive commitment by World Cup organizers to the LGBTQ community, an organization made up of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people.
However, organizations accuse the desert state of exploiting migrant workers. There are repeated reports of dead workers in connection with the 2022 World Cup. The British “Guardian” reported a few months ago that more than 6,500 migrant workers had died between the 2010 World Cup and the end of 2020. Qatar has also come under fire for its attitude towards women and homosexuals.
“Deeply worrying human rights situation in Qatar”
The international human rights organization Amnesty International called on the ex-football professional from Manchester United to take action. “It is not surprising that David Beckham wants to be involved in such a major football event, but we would urge him to read up on the extremely worrying human rights situation in Qatar and be ready to comment,” said Sacha Deshmukh, Managing Director of Amnesty International UK. According to this, the English ex-soccer star should “use his unique, worldwide profile to draw the world’s attention to the human rights problems in connection with the games”.
The human rights situation is worrying “from the longstanding abuse of migrant workers to the restriction of freedom of expression to the criminalization of same-sex relationships.” “Of particular concern is the mistreatment of migrant workers who, through their hard work, make the World Cup possible,” said a press release from Amnesty International.
Despite some reforms, migrant workers are still unpaid and authorities have failed to investigate thousands of deaths over the past decade. Even though there is evidence of a link between premature deaths and unsafe working conditions. More needs to be done to ensure that the World Cup leaves a positive legacy and that the human rights situation in Qatar is improved.
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I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
