{"id":143266,"date":"2021-10-30T21:44:15","date_gmt":"2021-10-30T21:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=143266"},"modified":"2021-10-30T21:44:15","modified_gmt":"2021-10-30T21:44:15","slug":"could-beckhams-qatar-link-put-his-40million-video-game-deal-at-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/world-news\/could-beckhams-qatar-link-put-his-40million-video-game-deal-at-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Could Beckham&apos;s Qatar link put his \u00a340million video game deal at risk?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Could Beckham&#8217;s Qatar link put his \u00a340million video game deal at risk? EA Sports refuses to back ex-England captain&#8217;s decision to front 2022 Qatar World Cup amid criticism of the Gulf state&#8217;s human rights abuses<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Former England captain has come under scrutiny over his lucrative agreement\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Beckham named as ambassador for the California-based video game company<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Sources close to the 46-year-old say his team are growing increasingly anxious <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>David Beckham\u2019s \u00a340 million sponsorship deal with EA Sports appears in jeopardy after the video game giant refused to back his decision to front the controversial 2022 Qatar World Cup.<\/p>\n<p>The former England captain has come under intense scrutiny over his lucrative agreement to be the face of the tournament, given the Gulf state\u2019s atrocious record on human rights.<\/p>\n<p>Beckham was last year named as an ambassador for the California-based video game company, and when challenged over the Qatar concerns, EA Sports said: \u2018Principles of equity and human rights are fundamental to Electronic Arts.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2021\/10\/30\/20\/49840155-10148139-image-a-1_1635622411737.jpg\" height=\"634\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>David Beckham\u2019s \u00a340 million sponsorship deal with EA Sports appears in jeopardy after the video game giant refused to back his decision to front the controversial 2022 Qatar World Cup<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2021\/10\/24\/00\/49558721-0-image-a-215_1635032414041.jpg\" height=\"368\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>As part of the deal it is expected that Beckham will become the face of the 2022 World Cup<\/p>\n<p>But the company pointedly declined to say how it reconciled that position with Beckham\u2019s deal to promote a nation where homosexuality is illegal and the freedom of women is heavily curtailed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They said: \u2018We do not comment on the specifics of our brand ambassadors\u2019 other partnerships.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The lack of support heaps more pressure on Beckham after Amnesty International challenged him to speak out about the \u2018deeply concerning\u2019 situation in Qatar.<\/p>\n<p>Sources close to the 46-year-old say his team are growing increasingly anxious about the furore, not least because EA Sports is perceived as \u2018very sensitive\u2019 to criticism.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>More worryingly, negotiations for any renewal of his deal, which was initially for three years, would probably begin shortly after the World Cup.<\/p>\n<p>Beckham, whose personal fortune with wife Victoria is estimated at \u00a3380 million, prizes the EA contract.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When he appeared on the packaging of a special edition of EA\u2019s Fifa football game after signing the deal last November, he told his 69 million Instagram followers: \u201823 years later\u2026 so proud to be back on the cover @easportsfifa #FIFA21.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Beckham attracted widespread criticism last weekend after The Mail on Sunday revealed details of a series of meetings he attended in Qatar earlier this month, where he also filmed promotional footage.<\/p>\n<p>His argument that he wanted to use the power of football to highlight the persecution of women and the LGBTQ community cut little ice with critics.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement that sources say left Beckham \u2018mortified\u2019, Amnesty said: \u2018It\u2019s not surprising that David Beckham wants to be involved in such a major football event, but we would urge him to learn about the deeply concerning human rights situation in Qatar and be prepared to speak out about it.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Qatar\u2019s human rights record is troubling \u2013 from the country\u2019s longstanding mistreatment of migrant workers, to its curbs on free speech and the criminalisation of same- sex relations.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>In a thinly veiled attack on Beckham\u2019s defence, it added: \u2018David Beckham should use his unique worldwide profile to keep the world\u2019s focus on the human rights issues surrounding the matches, and not just the play on the pitch.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2021\/10\/24\/00\/49558719-0-image-a-217_1635033039728.jpg\" height=\"624\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The England legend was pictured in the country earlier this month being shown around<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2021\/10\/24\/00\/49559151-0-image-a-216_1635032547563.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Beckham became close with Qatari president of PSG, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, in his time in France<\/p>\n<p>While EA Sports condemned human rights abuses \u2013 without criticising Qatar directly \u2013 other firms with which Beckham has lucrative deals stonewalled questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Even Unicef, the UN children\u2019s humanitarian aid agency which has worked with Beckham for 15 years, was silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Paloma Escudero, its global communications director, did not respond to multiple requests to comment on the former footballer\u2019s deal with Qatar.<\/p>\n<p>Diageo, the drinks company that promotes Beckham\u2019s Haig whisky brand, also did not respond to a request to comment, despite claiming to \u2018champion inclusion and diversity\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And Safilo, an Italian company that produces Beckham\u2019s DB Eyewear range, also failed to comment, even though a statement on its website states: \u2018We are committed to ensuring human rights are respected at all times.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The MoS first revealed Beckham\u2019s had signed a contract to be the face of the Qatar World Cup in February, in a deal worth at least \u00a310 million.<\/p>\n<p>Critics noticed that Beckham took to Instagram on Monday to send birthday good wishes to David Furnish, the gay husband of Sir Elton John.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sources claimed it was unusual for him to do so publicly.<\/p>\n<p>As the row raged last Sunday, he cultivated a family-man image on social media by posting selfies of himself and his son Romeo watching an American football match in Florida.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The following day, he took daughter Harper, ten, to a chocolate factory where they spent hours making their own sweets.<\/p>\n<p>Beckham\u2019s deal with Qatar emerged from his friendship with Qatari businessman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of the Paris Saint-Germain football club, where he played in 2013.<\/p>\n<p>The former Manchester United midfielder will return to Qatar\u2019s capital Doha next month for the Formula One Grand Prix.<\/p>\n<p>Beckham is not the only major figure in football to face criticism over their stance on Qatar\u2019s human rights record.<\/p>\n<p>Current players including England captain Harry Kane have so far resisted calls to condemn the abuses.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And TV presenters and pundits including Gary Lineker, Alex Scott, Gary Neville and Gabby Logan have all declined to take the opportunity to speak out.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-10148139\/Could-Beckhams-Qatar-link-40million-video-game-deal-risk.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Could Beckham&#8217;s Qatar link put his \u00a340million<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":143265,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23056],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Could Beckham&amp;apos;s Qatar link put his \u00a340million video game deal at risk? - Pre Coin 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