To sell itself to the world, Qatar had spent millions of dollars on celebrity endorsements, including agreements with a battalion of former soccer players who could speak to fans with street cred and in a common language. Beckham’s team agreed to the request that he attend but set two conditions: his presence was not be announced ahead of time, and reporters were not to be alerted. stands at World Cup stadiums, and he was filmed visiting the England team before its elimination. During the World Cup, his special status has been evident. The post The World Cup’s Missing Mouthpiece appeared first on New York Times.
