Beckhams slammed for £150m ‘money grabbing’ deal

Being worth a reported £360million is something most of the world’s population can only dream about – but it seems even that’s not enough for David and Victoria Beckham. Last week, the couple faced a huge backlash after it was claimed that David had signed a controversial £150million deal to become the face of next year’s World Cup, which is being held in Qatar.

The former England football captain has been branded “beyond greedy” and accused of “selling his soul” to the Middle Eastern country, which is rife with racism, misogyny and the persecution of women and gay men. David – who has four children, Brooklyn, 22, Romeo, 19, Cruz, 16, and Harper, ten – has defended his actions, saying, “Football can bridge differences”, and we’re told he doesn’t think he’s doing anything wrong.

“Becoming the face of Qatar was a commercial decision that David stands by, and he expected the backlash in Britain,” our insider says. “Although Victoria does have reservations, she thinks it’s just a certain quarter stirring up trouble again. They both say that it’s about promoting football – and nothing to do with human rights. David is shrewd. He’s survived a very long career and made his millions because he’s good at taking calculated decisions, and he’s not doing anything wrong. People often accuse the Beckhams of being greedy and money grabbing, but why shouldn’t they make money? They’re not profiting off anyone else’s ill-gotten gains or anyone getting harmed. It’s the World Cup – and surely by this justification, every company who sponsors and every fan who attends can be held to that same standard.”

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But many people have disagreed and have urged the couple to reconsider the decision. Amnesty International UK’s CEO Sacha Deshmukh said, “We would urge him to learn about the concerning human rights situation in Qatar and be prepared to speak out about it. Qatar’s human rights record is troubling – from the country’s long-standing mistreatment of migrant workers, to its curbs on free speech and criminalisation of same-sex relations.”

David – who is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador – had previously spoken about his upset when Qatar were awarded the World Cup in 2022. Then, when Russia won the 2018 bid against England, he made it clear that he suspected there was “something wrong” with the voting system.

“It gives you a real sick feeling,” he said. “So much hard work went into that bid. Nobody could have done any more, genuinely, and then you factor in that we also had the weight of the prime minister and the future king of England behind us. It doesn’t get much bigger than that. So, the situation we see now… it leaves a sick feeling in your mouth. There was obviously something wrong with the system when you look at the investigations since the vote and some of the things that have come out.”

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David, 46, and Victoria, 47, have long been allies of the LGBTQ+ communities, with Posh designing her own range of T-shirts to celebrate Pride. And while the couple feel they haven’t done anything wrong with this deal, we’re told Victoria does have some concerns.

“Vic is obviously fully behind David, and knows how much this deal will bring in and really push them into the super-rich category,” our source explains. “But she doesn’t want to upset fans – especially those from the LGBTQ+ communities. She wants them to be reassured that they’ve thought this through. But they are obviously very happy with the deal David has signed and there’s no denying it will give a huge cash injection to their fortune.”

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