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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Tom Blow

David Beckham makes allegiance clear to USA fans with World Cup jibe

David Beckham took aim at his American friends after the USA's draw with England.

The Manchester United legend, who owns MLS club Inter Miami, was at the Al Bayt Stadium on Friday to watch England's tedious goalless draw against the United States. The result leaves both sides still battling for a spot in the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Beckham hit the headlines after agreeing a £150million deal to become an ambassador for Qatar ahead of the World Cup. He's been criticised by the LGBT+ community for accepting the gig, as same-sex relationships are outlawed in the Arab country.

The former England captain posted a selfie of himself at Friday's game on Instagram with the caption: "It's called FOOTBALL USMNT [US Men's National Team]. Great atmosphere at the Al Bayt Stadium between US fans and England fans tonight."

Beckham's comments come just days after he appeared in advert for crisp company Lays, in which he argues with Americans over whether football is actually known as soccer. The sport is prominently known as football in the UK but soccer in the US.

Football originates from the UK and soccer was initially a British nickname for the sport. Soccer is a twist on association football, which is the sport's full name. Americans have adopted soccer because American football is colloquially known as football in the US.

What do you make of David Beckham's £150million deal with Qatar? Let us know in the comments below!

Beckham was all similes at the Al Bayt Stadium, despite the anger caused by his lucrative 10-year deal with Qatar. The Arab country has an appalling human rights record, as it's claimed more than 6,500 migrant workers have died building the infrastructure for the World Cup. Qatar has disputed this figure.

The LGBT+ community are particularly unhappy with Beckham, considering Qatar's abhorrent laws. Qatar has quashed LGBT+ protests during the World Cup and one of Beckham's fellow ambassadors has described homosexually as "damage in the mind".

Beckham recently tried to justify his huge payday. He said, "Qatar dreamed of bringing the World Cup to a place that it had never been before, but that it wouldn't be enough just to achieve things on the pitch. The pitch would be a platform for progress."

Beckham added, "Dreams can come true. That is why you are here. You share Generation Amazing's twin passions for the game of football and for making the world a more tolerant and inclusive place."

However, history has proven that major sporting events do not help oppressive regimes became "more tolerant and inclusive" places.

Nazi Germany hosted the Olympics in 1936 - just two years before Adolf Hitler annexed Austria and ordered his troops to invade Czechoslovakia. More recently, Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup. In February, Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered a mass invasion of neighbouring Ukraine to trigger the biggest war in Europe since the Second World War.

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