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David Beckham hails the World Cup fan experience as “exciting and fun”, despite the Qatari ambassador being largely ABSENT, except in VVIP areas in Doha, while pocketing £10m.
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Former England captain David Beckham has praised the quality of the Qatar fan experience at the 2022 World Cup.
The 47-year-old said it has been a ‘privilege’ to see the fans ‘get excited’ and ‘have fun’ at the tournament in Qatar.
He went on to discuss the quality of the football on display and praised Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka for their performances for England.
Former England star David Beckham praised the quality of the Qatar fan experience
Beckham told the official website of the FIFA World Cup: ‘Seeing the fans come together and the level of football has been incredible. It has been a privilege to see the excitement and fun of the fans.’
Beckham went on to discuss the level of football being displayed. He said: ‘The level of football [at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar] it’s been amazing.
“I was always a fan of playing the World Cup in the middle of the season because I knew the players would be fresh and the fitness and energy levels would be higher.”
The 47-year-old said it has been a “privilege” to see the fans having fun in Qatar.
The former England captain also felt that the experience in Qatar was uniting football fans.
The former England captain also praised Bellingham and Saka for their performances in Qatar before lauding Lionel Messi for his contribution on and off the pitch.
‘I loved Morocco’s midfield, its elegance and its way of playing. Jude Bellingham had a great tournament for England and Bukayo Saka,’ Beckham said.
He went on to add: ‘Kylian Mbappe has had a great tournament – every time he has the ball at his feet, you can feel the energy in the stadium.
‘And Lionel Messi, what can you say? He is a special individual on and off the field. It feels different to see him play in this World Cup. He has great teammates around him, but he has been the leader, and you can feel it in every game. He is special to see.
Beckham also praised Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka for their performances in Qatar.
Beckham praised Lionel Messi for his contribution on and off the pitch.
Beckham, who twice reached the World Cup quarter-finals with England, shared his thoughts on the current Three Lions squad.
Beckham has been very impressed with England despite being left out of the tournament after a 2-0 loss to France.
He is confident that Gareth Southgate’s young team will thrive once he has more experience under his belt.
Beckham said: ‘We have real quality and the England players will carry this experience into the next tournament.
“The fans are right behind us, the future looks bright. We have a lot of young players who will learn from this and take it to the Euros and the next World Cup.”
Beckham has a $150 million deal to promote Qatar as a World Cup ambassador
Beckham’s comments about the fan experience came after it was revealed that World Cup Qatar was frustrated with his decision to avoid the media.
Beckham has been an extremely visible presence throughout the tournament in Qatar, photographed at stadiums to watch various matches while his likeness is on billboards across the country.
But Beckham has yet to come forward and speak out about his decision to align himself with a country where immigrant workers died building new World Cup stadiums and homosexuality is outlawed.
According to the New York TimesBeckham’s silence has left the World Cup host frustrated with him as the 47-year-old is being paid $150 million for his overall ambassadorial role.