'Not right to go': Rod Stewart hailed for snubbing Qatar's $1M offer to perform at FIFA World Cup, here's why
Sir Rod Stewart was given a $1 million contract to perform at the FIFA World Cup 2022, but because of Qatar's human rights record, the rock musician declined it. Earlier, football icon David Beckham came under intense scrutiny by the public for accepting the nation’s proposal to represent them as one of the ambassadors.
The musician added that he believed it would be inappropriate to do a set in the World Cup host country because it is controversial and homosexuality is against the law in the country. “I was actually offered a lot of money, over $1m, to play there 15 months ago," Stewart, 77, told the Sunday Times. “I turned it down. It's not right to go. And the Iranians should be out too for supplying arms,” he said in reference to drones supplied by the country to Russia which was barred from the tournament. Fans watching games in Qatar, where being gay may result in imprisonment or even the death penalty, “have got to watch out,” he continued. Having previously said that he was "surrounded by gay men in the 70s," Stewart is seen as an ally of the LGBTQ+ community.
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