A British comedian is threatening to shred nearly NZD$20,000 unless football superstar David Beckham forfeits his role as an ambassador with Qatar to promote the 2022 World Cup.
The World Cup kicks off next week, but there are still questions remaining about the nation's criminalisation of homosexuality and major human rights violations.
Comedian Joe Lycett said he would donate £10,000 (NZD19,354) to charity if Beckham agrees to cut ties with the World Cup host. If not, he said the footballer's "status as a gay icon will be shredded" along with the money in a livestream before the opening ceremony.
Beckham, who has long supported gay fans and players, will reportedly earn £150 million (nearly NZD$300m) as the face of the Qatar World Cup despite the country outlawing same-sex relationships.
The former England captain's contract is worth a reported £15 million per year over the next decade to become the country's global ambassador, according to The Sun.
"This is a message to David Beckham. I consider you, along with Kim Woodburn and Monty Don, to be a gay icon," Lycett said in a video posted on social media and the website benderslikebeckham.com.
"You were the first premiership footballer to do shoots with gay magazines like Attitude, to speak openly about your gay fans, and you married a Spice Girl which is the gayest thing a human being can do."
The comedian said Beckham had "always talked about the power of football as a force for good", so offered him an ultimatum.
"If you end your relationship with Qatar I will donate 10 grand of my own money to charities that support queer people in football," he said.
"However, if you do not I will throw the money into a shredder at midday next Sunday, just before the opening ceremony of the World Cup and stream it right here. Not just the money, but also your status as a gay icon will be shredded."
Beckham has been widely criticised for taking on his role as ambassador, with the England national team's largest LGBTQ+ supporters' group saying they wouldn't travel to Qatar.
Di Cunningham, the co-founder of the Three Lions Pride group, said they wouldn't travel to the host country because there was "no sign - as there was in Russia - of any appetite to relax or review the toxic environment there is for LGBTQ+ and other minority groups".
"One of the difficulties is having people taking the money in order to promote Qatar and the World Cup," Cunningham said at a Sport & Rights Alliance press briefing last week.
"I'm just so disappointed because we - the LGBTQ+ football family - have put David Beckham on a pedestal, as a great ally.
"And then it turns out that he's taking a lot of money to be an ambassador for this World Cup, and that's incredibly disappointing. So I really hope that the message has got through that people will be criticised for that."
The FIFA World Cup kicks off next Monday (NZ time) with the opening match seeing Qatar take on Ecuador at 5am.
