David Beckham 's role as an ambassador in Qatar has again seen him come in for harsh criticism on Good Morning Britain.
The England legend has been one of the most high-profile stars to have backed the World Cup in the Middle East, appearing in several promotional videos. Having Qatar as a host for the tournament has been heavily criticised due to its poor human rights record and with homosexuality illegal in the country.
Their successful bid to host the World Cup has also been associated with allegations of corruption. Beckham's involvement was debated on the ITV show with political journalist Andrew Pierce making his views clear.
He said: "As you know I don’t watch football, but I would not go to that country as a gay man because I would be very worried. As for David Beckham, he should be hanging his head in shame. He is a gay icon, hugely popular around the world, and he’s doing this for one reason: millions in the bank."
Beckham has received a reported £10m for his role as an ambassador. A spokesman for the former Manchester United star defended his association, citing the passion of Qatar as a country and their desire to create a long lasting legacy following the tournament as reasons for him accepting the role.
The spokesman told the Metro : "David has been visiting Qatar regularly for over a decade and went on to play for PSG [Paris Saint-Germain], so he has seen the passion for football in the country and the long-term commitment that’s been made to hosting the World Cup and delivering a lasting legacy for the region."
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Gary Neville, who has been among those to speak out against the World Cup in Qatar, has since defended Beckham, a former teammate. He told the Daily Mail : “[People forget] Beckham went to play for PSG who had Qatari ownership.
"Beckham, to be fair to him, has a relationship with the Qataris through his relationship with PSG, and the work he has done in terms of amplifying our country through the world is probably second to none in the past five to 10 years."
Comedian Joe Lycett has issued Beckham with an ultimatum as he spoke out on his role with Qatar. He has urged the former footballer to end his association or risk his status as a "gay icon", adding that he will shred £10,000 of his own money on a live stream if he doesn't back out.
An England LGBT fans group has been among those to also take aim at former Three Lions captain Beckham, while England boss Gareth Southgate has said on such issues: “Regarding the LGBT community, we stand for inclusivity and we are very, very strong on that. We think that is important in terms of all our supporters.”
