David Beckham watches Argentina secure their place in the World Cup final with 3-0 win over Croatia as Qatar’s £150million ambassador continues his controversial role
- Beckham is being paid a reported £150million to serve as ambassador for a World Cup overshadowed by its host’s appalling human rights record
- And he remained firmly in place at Qatar’s Lusail Stadium, where the 47-year old former footballer joined more than 88,000 fans on Tuesday evening
- As always the cameras were trained on Beckham as he watched the South American side coast to a comfortable 3-0 win over their Adriatic adversaries
- Beckham’s 10-year deal with Qatar has been an source of controversy in his home country, where he is commonly viewed as a gay icon
- But the ex-Manchester United and England midfielder insists the World Cup can be a ‘platform for progress’ across the Gulf state
- Click here for the latest World Cup 2022 news, fixtures, live action and results
With the desert dust yet to settle on David Beckham’s controversial Qatari role, the man in question was back at work as Argentina faced Croatia in the FIFA World Cup semi-final on Tuesday evening.
Beckham is being paid a reported £150million to serve as ambassador for a tournament overshadowed by its host’s appalling human rights record, poor treatment of migrant labourers and divisive views on inclusivity – namely, the classification of homosexuality as an illegal act.
And he was front and centre at Qatar’s Lusail Stadium, where the 47-year old former footballer joined more than 88,000 fans as Argentina – thanks to some incredible work from team captain Lionel Messi – secured their place in Sunday’s final.
In the stands: With the dust yet to settle on David Beckham’s Qatari role the man in question was back at work on Tuesday as Argentina faced Croatia in the World Cup semi-final
As always the cameras were trained on Beckham as he watched the South American side coast to a comfortable 3-0 win over their Adriatic adversaries, with Messi scoring from the spot before assisting goal number three with a mesmerising run outside the six-yard box.
Beckham’s 10-year deal with Qatar has been an source of controversy in his home country, where he is commonly viewed as a gay icon, but the ex-Manchester United and England midfielder insists the World Cup can be a ‘platform for progress’ across the Gulf state.
Addressing the future of Qatar in promotional video released in November, 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.
Centre of attention: As always the cameras were trained on Beckham as he watched the South American side coast to a comfortable 3-0 win over their Adriatic adversaries
‘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.’
Comparing the country’s potential for growth to the progress of a professional footballer, he added: ‘Every one of the great players I was lucky enough to play with started exactly the same way.
‘In a back garden, park, or a street outside their home with just a ball and an imagination that they dared to let run wild.
Well done: Argentinian maestro Lionel Messi scored from the spot before assisting goal number three with a mesmerising run outside the Croats six-yard box
Questionable: Beckham’s deal with Qatar has been an source of controversy in his home country, where he is viewed as a gay icon (pictured during England v France on Saturday)
‘Almost two decades ago, a small group of football lovers from Qatar had an equally fantastic dream: that they could bring the greatest football show on earth to their home country and to the Middle East for the very first time. And now we are here.
‘Because when dreams are harnessed and mixed with dedication and hard work, they are no longer dreams, they become reality.
‘I want to say to all of you, ‘today is your day to dream’. Because there are no limits to what you and your teammates can achieve in our beautiful game.’
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