David Beckham has come under a lot of criticism for his ambassadorial role at this year’s World Cup in Qatar, and after he finally released a statement addressing the matter, it absolutely did not help.
LGTBQ+ sports fans and allies have repeatedly expressed disappointment in Beckham for taking a deal reportedly worth £10 million to serve as ambassador at FIFA’s World Cup considering that homosexuality is still illegal in Qatar. As Beckham purports to be an ally himself, many felt that he should have used his platform to take a stance and help draw attention to the dangers that holding the tournament in a place like Qatar puts fans and players in.
Comedian Joe Lycett has been among the most vocal calling Beckham out, previously threatening to destroy £10,000 of his own money if the former soccer star didn’t pull out of his deal — which Beckham obviously did not do.
But Lycett revealed on a recent episode of his show, Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back, that Beckham’s people finally sent over a statement on the controversy.
“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,” it read. “Football, the most popular sport globally, has a genuine ability to bring people together and make a real contribution to communities.”
The statement then suggested that it’s actually a good thing the dangerous policies in Qatar have opened up conversations (which Beckham himself…has not been a part of) and that they “hope that these conversations will lead to greater understanding and empathy towards all people and that progress will be achieved.”
It’s a pathetic, empty sentiment that addresses absolutely none of the concern and attempts to reframe Beckham as a beacon of change in an epically ginormous reach that no one could possibly take seriously.
Although Lycett could not comment on the statement itself, he did have this to say about being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community:
“I want to talk about allies, in particular, companies and celebrities who like to think they’re allies to our community, who are happy to slap a rainbow on when it doesn't cost them anything, but looked the other way when it came to the World Cup.
“What I say is that we need allies, but allies we can rely on not to run away the moment it looks difficult, or when the first yellow card is threatened. We need everyone to be our allies and we need them to remember that being an ally is for life, not just for Christmas specials.”
Why is David Beckham famous?
He was a legendary footballer (soccer player) who also happened to be handsome and married to a Spice Girl.
At what age did David Beckham retire?
Beckham retired at 38.
Is David Beckham married to Posh Spice?
Yes.
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