David Beckham faces fury from his gay fans after reportedly landing a deal to be the face of Qatar – where homosexuality is illegal.
The former England captain has reportedly been promised at least £10million to be the Middle East country’s ambassador with a major role in promoting next year’s World Cup there.
Becks announced in 2007 he was “very honoured to have the tag of gay icon”.
But homosexuality is against the law in Qatar and is punishable by imprisonment, flogging or even death.
(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
It has been named as the second most dangerous country to visit for the LGBTQ+ community.
One Qatari source said: “This is a deal that is supposed to be top secret. It is being kept quiet until there is an opportunity to land it without David’s PR being affected too much.”
Sources say Becks, 45, has been assured that Qatar is set to relax its policies on homosexuality. But even sex outside marriage for heterosexual couples carries a seven-year jail sentence in the country.
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar (Image: Getty Images)
A source close to the Manchester United legend said: “David has so many big-money deals you do wonder why he would want one like this.’’
One concern could be the reaction from the ex-footballer’s high-profile gay pals including Sir Elton John, who hosts him on his yacht in the south of France every summer.
Becks, who is worth an estimated £360million, is a frequent visitor to the Gulf state and ended his playing career with Qatar-owned French team Paris Saint-Germain in 2013.
He is also close friends with the club’s president Nasser-Al Khelaifi.
Beckham’s spokesman had not responded to a request for comment on Sunday night.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
