‘Money talks’- Beth Mead speaks out against Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup
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Updated 03/11/2022 at 16:24 GMT
The Lionesses star became the latest high-profile figure to speak out against the decision to award Qatar the World Cup. Mead explained she will be supporting the men's team and hopes they will be successful, but will not be actively promoting the competition. Qatar has received widespread criticism due to its poor human rights record and its stance against the LGBTQ community.
Mead 'super proud to be English' after her sixth Euro 2022 goal for England
Beth Mead has spoken out against the decision to make Qatar the hosts of the 2022 World Cup and cited the country’s poor human rights record.
Qatar are arguably the most controversial hosts in the history of the tournament, due to the ways in which the stadia were constructed and how being homosexual is still illegal in the country.
“From the minute it was announced I thought, ‘I mean, it’s not the best idea’,” Mead said in an interview with BBC Woman’s Hour.
“Obviously, the way they think and how they go is the complete opposite to what I believe and respect. Although I’m cheering for the boys who are going to play football there, I still don’t think it’s the right place. Unfortunately, money talks.
“The situation with the stadiums being built, and the amount of people that have passed [away] because of that, it’s not an ideal situation at all. It’s not something that I will be backing or promoting. At all.
“Unfortunately, it is going ahead. Just disappointing, I guess, in the sense that there’s no respect on a lot of levels, even though it’s a game of football.”
Mead is of an LGBTQ background herself and spoke about her relationship with Arsenal team-mate Vivianne Miedema. She has been a key advocate in normalising homosexuality in football, including within the men’s game.
"We've made it the norm from day one," she said in quotes published by the BBC.
"We haven't felt the need to come out and give a statement of who we're with and what we're doing, we've just classed it as normal life.
"If I want to put a picture of me and Viv on my Instagram, I do but I don't caption it: 'This is my girlfriend, this is what we're doing.'
"In the men's game they feel they have to make a statement of the situation. It's been a culture, and that culture needs to shift."
Mead will be going to a World Cup herself when the women’s version of the competition takes place across Australia and New Zealand next summer.
England will face Denmark and China at the 2023 Women's World Cup after the draw was made in Auckland on October 22.
Sarina Wiegman’s side will also be joined in Group D by the Group B play-off winners, one of either Senegal, Haiti, or Chile.
The 27-year-old had a stellar 2022 after winning the European Championships and being named as Player of the Tournament.
She also finished second in the Ballon d’Or Feminin rankings, behind Alexia Putellas of Barcelona and Spain.
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