Beckham silence in step with Qatari World Cup omerta

When David Beckham hung up his boots in 2013, a five-month stint at Qatari-backed Paris Saint-Germain was the final stop of a storied career.

The 37-year-old announced he would donate the salary from his five-month stint in the French capital, believed to be in the region of €4 million, to a children's charity.

A UNICEF ambassador since 1999, he, along with his wife Victoria, have championed such childhood causes as malnutrition, domestic abuse and trafficking among others, raising eye-watering sums of money along the way. In March the couple donated £1m towards aid in war-torn Ukraine

Critics have suggested that part of Beckham’s philanthropic nature is tied to his brand image, but even the dissenters would have to acknowledge that the former Manchester United player, whose net worth is in the region of €450 million, has brought financial aid and publicity to a range of social issues.

Whatever about the morality of it all, from a brand perspective, the decision to assume a cultural ambassador role for Qatar to promote the country’s tourism and culture was a highly questionable one, though one for which he is being reportedly remunerated to the tune of £150m.

"Qatar really is an incredible place to spend a few days on a stopover," he said in 30-minute clip for Visit Qatar last month.

"This is perfection. I cannot wait to bring my children back here."

Perfection perhaps for the elite, but appalling human rights issues make it an altogether different proposition for the majority on the ground. Of a population of around 2.8 million, Amnesty International says more than 60% is made up by migrant workers.

The self-described "gay icon" has said nothing on the fact that Qatar is a country where homosexuals can face the death penalty