David Beckham is told he’s made a ‘big, big mistake’ by taking £10m to be a paid ambassador for Qatar, as his old Man United team-mate Eric Cantona suggests he ‘doesn’t know what has happened there’
- Eric Cantona has warned David Beckham over his role as ambassador for Qatar
- The Frenchman claimed that his former team-mate is making a ‘big mistake’
- Beckham agreed to be a leading figure in the build-up to the World Cup
- As part of the deal, Beckham has promoted tourism and culture in Qatar
- Cantona has now urged the Englishman to ‘do completely the opposite’
David Beckham has been told he’s made a ‘big mistake’ in taking an ambassadorial role for the Qatar World Cup, by former team-mate Eric Cantona.
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 sportswashing campaign.
And now Cantona, who Beckham knows well from their time at Manchester United, has urged the England icon to re-think his stance and suggests Beckham isn’t aware of ‘what has happened there’.
When asked if he would ever adopt a similar role to Beckham, Cantona told the Athletic: ‘I would not do it at all. I do completely the opposite. In January 2022, I started to say that. Maybe I was the first one.
‘But I am free to do it. And of course, an ex-player paid to do this kind of thing… It could be they don’t know what has happened there. Or, if they know it, I think they did wrong. I think they made a big mistake. A big, big mistake.’
In October last year, it was announced that Beckham agreed a £150million deal to become an ambassador for the country over the decade, which has resulted in 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 ‘doesn’t know what has happened there’
Cantona continued: ‘If you have a player who says, “I will boycott the World Cup”, you say, “Bravo”. But you cannot condemn a 20-year-old player, who has a 10-year career, who lives in a world surrounded by people from football 24 hours per day.
‘But do speak about the federations, speak about the politicians, who have the power to say, “No, we do not go to the World Cup”.
‘We cannot be disappointed if players don’t want to boycott the World Cup, because at the top, the politicians, the presidents, the federations, the ministers… they have the power to boycott it.’
Beckham agreed a £150million deal to become ambassador for the country over the decade
Beckham has been accused of putting money ahead of principles following accusations against Qatar and it’s human rights violations – in particular over it’s attitudes towards women and gay people.
Veteran human-rights activist Peter Tatchell said: ‘It is really disappointing that he is promoting Qatar in return for a lot of money, given its dismal human-rights record.
‘He has made a huge mistake. I hope he will think again. This doesn’t square with his professed support for women’s and LGBT+ rights.’
Helen Barnard, research and policy director at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, added: ‘Such weak justifications from Beckham and all the clubs and stars taking money from these brutal, horrific regimes.’
World Cup will be held in Qatar despite a backdrop of poor human rights record in the nation
Beckham’s relationship with Qatar is not a new one, stemming back to his time as a player at Paris Saint-Germain.
It is understood the ambassadorial deal came about as a result of Beckham’s close friendship with the Qatari president of PSG, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, when the former Manchester United star played for the club in 2013.
The pair were photographed laughing together at an international match in Qatar in 2019 and Beckham has become a frequent visitor to the country.
Beckham became close with Qatari president of PSG, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, in his time in France
Speaking in 2019 about the World Cup in Qatar, Beckham spoke of his jealously at not getting the chance to be there as a player.
He said: ‘I think as a player and a 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, it’s a dream. Players are going to be spoilt.’
