David Beckham has finally responded to British comedian Joe Lycett after the funnyman called him out for his involvement with Qatar.
The sports superstar signed a deal in 2021 to be paid a reported $18 million (£15 million) a year for 10 years to be an ambassador of Qatar, the host nation of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In the run-up to the tournament, Lycett, who is pansexual, put public pressure on Beckham to end his relationship with the controversial country, where homosexuality is illegal. He threatened to shred $12,000 (£10,000) if Beckham didn't respond to his video message and carried out the stunt with fake money after the former soccer player kept quiet.
Beckham's representatives finally addressed Lycett exclusively on Thursday, when the 34-year-old read out a statement during a special episode of his comedy show Joe Lycett's Got Your Back.
"David has been involved in a number of World Cups and other major international tournaments both as a player and an ambassador and he has always believed that sport has the power to be a force for good in the world," the statement reads. "Football, the most popular sport globally, has a genuine ability to bring people together and make a real contribution to communities.
"We understand that there are different and strongly held views about engagement in the Middle East but see it as positive that debate about the key issues has been stimulated directly by the first World Cup being held in the region. We hope that these conversations will lead to greater understanding and empathy towards all people and that progress will be achieved."
Lycett noted that he wasn't legally allowed to give his opinion on it, however, he read out a tweet in which a user claimed his stunt "achieved nothing" and he agreed.
"I did achieve nothing, Beckham still hasn't addressed the issues faced by LGBTQ people in Qatar," he said. "People say to me, 'Why does it matter so much to you?' and the reason it matters is because if someone like me lived in Qatar, they wouldn't be able to be someone like me."
The 2022 FIFA World Cup concludes on Sunday with a match between finalists France and Argentina.
