David Beckham said he was told by members of the LGBTQ+ community that they felt Qatar 2022 was the “safest World Cup” they had attended in recent years.
The former England footballer released a four-part documentary titled Beckham, on Netflix on 4 October.
The intimate docuseries allowed director Fisher Stevens to take the camera inside the Beckham family home and interview relatives and close friends including his parents and wife Victoria, former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Gary Neville.
While there were a number of revelations relating to his career and relationships, at the premiere in London, Beckham also spoke to Sky News about the World Cup in Qatar.
"Whatever partnership I go into, in the business, we always do our homework on everything,” Beckham told Sky News.
“To be involved in another World Cup was important, I’ve always said football is a game that should be shared around the world.
“This was an opportunity for another nation, the Arab world, to host a World Cup. Once we were there, we knew people would talk about it a bit more. Or let the football do the talking.
“No one came up to me, I had a lot of conversation with the LGBTQ+ community while I was there.
“They said they’d been treated perfectly fine. They’d enjoyed the games, they said it was the safest World Cup they’d had for a long time.
“So, no, at the end of the day, it was an important competition and one I was proud to be part of.”
The former footballer has received criticism for his decision to accept money from Qatar for his role as a football ambassador around the World Cup in the winter last year.
There was criticism around the tournament over the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Qatar, where same-sex relationships are banned under the threat of imprisonment, and there were fears over the safety of foreign fans from those communities who wished to attend the World Cup.
There were reports during the tournament of fans, including Wales supporters, being denied entry to the stadiums to watch their team while wearing rainbow bucket hats, despite previous claims that Fifa had told the Football Association of Wales they would be permitted.
‘One Love’ armbands were also banned at the tournament, with players having to choose from one of Fifa’s eight sanctioned alternatives.
