Dua Lipa has taken to social media to deny involvement with the FIFA World Cup 2022, which is set to start November 20 in host nation Qatar.
It had been rumoured Dua Lipa was set to perform during the opening ceremony but according to Lipa, it was never going to happen. In a statement posted on her Instagram, Lipa said: “There is currently a lot of speculation that I will be performing at the opening ceremony of the world cup in Qatar.I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiations to perform. I will be cheering England on from afar.”
She went on to say: “I look forward to visiting Qatar when it has fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host the World Cup.”
Qatar and World Cup organisers have faced ongoing criticisms regarding the death of migrant workers in the creation of stadiums and the country’s views on homosexuality, which is illegal in Qatar.
England manager Gareth Southgate has promised that his players will speak out about human rights abuses during the tournament. “We have always spoken about issues we think should be talked about, particularly the ones we feel we can affect.”
“Regarding the LGBT community, we stand for inclusivity and we are very, very strong on that. We think that is important in terms of all our supporters,” he added.
It comes as comedian Joe Lycett has urged David Beckham to end his partnership with the upcoming World Cup. Lycett criticised Beckham for his reported £10million sponsorship deal with Qatar and offered to donate £10,000 of his own money to queer charities if Beckham ended the sponsorship before the tournament started.
Earlier this month, it was confirmed BTS‘ Jungkook will perform at the opening ceremony for the upcoming football World Cup in Qatar.