Qatar Sports Investments Eyes Sponsorship Deal With Beckham

Qatar Sports Investments is poised to sponsor the newest MLS club Inter Miami and its owner David Beckam, according to the Athletic.   

Discussions are said to be at an advanced stage, with the reported top-tier partnership potentially covering kit sponsorship and naming rights to the club’s Freedom Park stadium, due to open in 2022.Currently, Inter Miami, who make their MLS debut away to Los Angeles FC on March 1st, are without a main sponsor. One of their commercial dealings of note so far is announcing Dutch beer brand Heineken as their first founding partner last August. 

It has not been reported exactly what Beckham’s own role would be if Qatar Sports Investments hop onto the bandwagon, but the 44-year-old retired footballer already has strong links to the Gulf state, after ending his playing career with Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2013.

Inter Miami’s Qatar talks follow revelations in early 2016 that the country was in discussions to buy a stake in the Beckham-backed franchise, only to later end its interest. According to the Athletic, the proposal was met with resistance by some MLS owners, who would have needed to approve it.

With the upcoming FIFA World Cup two years away, Qatar’s influence on the beautiful game has grown globally but it continues to face heavy criticism over corruption, migrant worker abuses, its draconian stance on homosexuality, and other abuses of human rights.