Why won’t David Beckham criticise Qatar?

David Beckham has come under fire for failing to speak out about human rights abuses in Qatar. Amnesty International said his recent walkabout interview with Gary Neville in Doha was a missed opportunity. 

‘It’s a shame the film makes no mention at all of Qatar’s long history of labour abuses, its shocking criminalisation of homosexuality or in fact any other human rights issue,’ a spokesman for Amnesty said. So should Beckham – who signed a controversial deal in 2021, worth millions, to act as an ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar – have piped up?

On the face of it, it’s hard to argue with Amnesty. The organisation has been consistent in its criticism of celebrity endorsements such as Beckham’s and their overall position on Qatar 2022 seems reasonable enough. They are not calling for a boycott, just for those with the power to do so to make the occasional reference to what most would agree is a seriously concerning situation.