David Beckham, Qatar’s World Cup ambassador, issued a video message in Doha, urging young Qataris that “today is your day to dream” ahead of the commencement of the 2022 event.
The well-known former England captain agreed to a contentious £150 million contract with Qatar to serve as an ambassador for this year’s World Cup.
However, Beckham, 47, has come under fire for accepting the position due to Qatar’s questionable human rights record and claims that the nation is using the competition to sportswash its reputation internationally.
Despite the host country’s concerns, Beckham said in a pre-recorded address at a “generation incredible” event that participants would see how football can create “the globe a more open and inclusive place” in the coming days.
He told the group of young people, ‘Every one of the great players I was lucky enough to play with, started in 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.’
‘Almost two decades ago a small group of football lovers from Qatar had an equally fantastic dream – that they could bring the greatest footballing 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,’ he said.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is only a few days away, and international media is already en masse there. A reporter posted video of Beckham’s pre-recorded address, which was shown on three enormous screens, on social media.
In the video, a group of young people were seated on chairs spread out on fake grass, some of them dressed in suits and others in the more conventional white clothes of Qatar.
‘Today is your day to dream,’ Beckham continued. ‘Because there is no limits to what you and your teammates can achieve in our beautiful game.
‘Dreams can come true. That’s why your here. You share Generation Amazing’s twin passions for the game of football, and for making the world a more tolerant and inclusive place.’
The organization Generation Amazing utilizes football to “empower young leaders in Qatar,” including youth advocates, coaches, volunteers, players, and participants, according to the group’s website.
The group has been preparing for the 2022 World Cup, and Beckham’s address served as the opening act for the “Generation Amazing Youth Festival.”
‘Over the course of the next week, with the help of our inspirational course leaders and our fellow ambassadors, you’ll learn how football skills and values can extend far beyond the pitch and into schools and the communities that you live in,’ he said.
‘And if you ever doubt that the festival’s ambitions are possible, remember, that it too began as a dream. Qatar dreamed of braining the world cup to a place 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.
‘Even before this year’s festival kicks off, more than 1 million lives have been touched to create an inspirational global community of coaches, educators and new young leaders. It all began as a dream.
‘That is now yours. So please be inspired and pass it on’.
Since it was initially announced 12 years ago, the decision to grant Qatar hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup has been clouded by controversy, including claims of corruption and human rights breaches. As a result, how the host nation treats tourists will be closely scrutinized.
In Qatar, homosexuality is still against the law, and anyone caught engaging in same-sex sexual behavior faces a sentence of up to seven years in jail.
In the meantime, it’s been alleged that over 6,000 migrant laborers have perished in the nation while constructing stadiums and other infrastructure for the competition.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the ruler of Qatar, has retaliated against the criticism by claiming that his nation has “been the target of an unparalleled campaign that no host country has ever encountered.”
On Sunday, the tournament begins in the gulf state with Qatar taking on Ecuador.
How much is David Beckham being paid by Qatar?
Following his declaration that the World Cup would serve as a platform for development, diversity, and tolerance, David Beckham is now taking more heat for his position as an ambassador for Qatar.
In a video message shown to attendees at the Supreme Committee’s “Generation Amazing” youth festival in Doha, Beckham, who is reportedly earning £150 million from the Qataris, delivered his cheerful evaluation and said that “today is your day to dream.”
In the run-up to this World Cup, concerns over workers’ and LGBTQ+ rights have persisted, coupled with queries about how much Qatar has evolved since being given the event in 2010.
Beckham, however, didn’t seem uncertain about how far the nation had come.
With Di Cunningham, co-founder of the Three Lions Pride organization, declaring last week that Beckham should no longer be viewed as a great ally due to his paid ambassador status, Beckham has been under increasing fire from LGBTQ+ organisations.
