David Beckham is told he made a ‘big mistake’ by taking on £10m as a paid ambassador for Qatar 36
David Beckham is told he made a ‘big mistake’ by taking on £10m as a paid ambassador for Qatar 37
David Beckham is told he made a ‘big mistake’ by taking on £10m as a paid ambassador for Qatar 38
David Beckham is told he made a ‘big mistake’ by taking on £10m as a paid ambassador for Qatar 39
David Beckham is told he made a ‘big mistake’ by taking on £10m as a paid ambassador for Qatar 40
David Beckham is told he made a ‘big, big mistake’ by taking on £10million as a paid ambassador for Qatar, as his old Man United team-mate Eric Cantona suggests he ‘don’t know what happened there’
Eric Cantona has warned David Beckham about his role as ambassador to Qatar The Frenchman claimed his former teammate is making a ‘big mistake’ Beckham agreed to be a leading figure ahead of the World Cup As part of the deal, Beckham has promoted tourism and culture in QatarCantona now urges Englishman to ‘do the complete opposite’
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David Beckham has been told by former team-mate Eric Cantona that he made a ‘big mistake’ by taking on an ambassadorial role for the World Cup in Qatar.
The ex England international has come under fire in recent months for his decision to be a ‘face’ of the tournament and has been accused of duplicity in the country’s sports wash campaign.
And now Cantona, who knows Beckham well from their time at Manchester United, has urged the English icon to reconsider his stance, suggesting Beckham is unaware of ‘what happened there’.
When asked if he would ever take on a similar role to Beckham, Cantona said: the athletic: ‘I wouldn’t do it at all. I do the complete opposite. In January 2022, I started saying that. Maybe I was the first.
‘But I’m free to do it. And of course, an ex-player paid to do things like this… They may not know what happened there. Or, if they know, I think they’ve done it wrong. I think they made a big mistake. A big, big mistake.’
In October last year it was announced that Beckham had agreed a £150m deal to become ambassador for the country over the decade, leading to him being the face of the 2022 World Cup.
David Beckham has been urged to reverse his decision to become the face of Qatar 2022
Eric Cantona claims his former Man United team-mate ‘don’t know what happened there’
Cantona continued: “If you have a player who says ‘I will boycott the World Cup’, you say, ‘Bravo’. But you can’t judge a 20-year-old player who has a 10-year career, who lives in a world surrounded by football people 24 hours a day.
“But talk about the federations, talk about the politicians, who have the power to say, ‘No, we’re not going to the World Cup’.
“We can’t be disappointed if players don’t want to boycott the World Cup, because at the top, the politicians, the presidents, the federations, the ministers… have the power to boycott it.”
Beckham struck a £150m deal to become the country’s ambassador over the decade
Beckham has been accused of putting money above principles following accusations against Qatar and its human rights violations – in particular over his attitude to women and gays.
Veteran human rights activist Peter Tatchell said: ‘It is really disappointing that he is promoting Qatar in exchange for a lot of money, given its poor human rights record.
“He made a big mistake. I hope he will think again. This is inconsistent with his outspoken support for women’s and LGBT+ rights.’
Helen Barnard, director of research and policy at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, added: “What feeble justifications from Beckham and all the clubs and stars taking money from these cruel, horrific regimes.”
World Cup to be held in Qatar despite a poor human rights record in the country
Beckham’s relationship with Qatar is not new and dates back to his time as a player at Paris Saint-Germain.
Clearly the ambassadorial deal came about as a result of Beckham’s close friendship with Qatari PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi when the former Manchester United star played for the club in 2013.
The pair were photographed laughing together during an international match in Qatar in 2019 and Beckham has become a frequent visitor to the country.
Beckham had a close relationship with Qatari PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi during his time in France
Speaking about the World Cup in Qatar in 2019, Beckham spoke of his jealousy at not getting the chance to be there as a player.
He said: ‘I think as a player and fan you want to visit a World Cup competition with great facilities, safe facilities, great hotels and great culture – and that’s what Qatar is all about.
“I wish I was still playing because to play in stadiums like this is a dream. Players are spoiled.’