David Beckham makes first statement on his Qatar World Cup involvement

Former England captain, whose role as ambassador was criticised by LGBTQ+ community, said he believes sport is force for good'

David Beckham has made his first public statement on his controversial involvement with the World Cup host nation Qatar, telling a US newspaper through a spokesperson that he has always believed that sport has the power to be a force for good in the world".

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," the statement continued.