The 2022 FIFA World Cup didn’t tap Dua Lipa to perform.
The award-winning entertainer has denied rumors that the World Cup asked her to sing at the opening ceremony in Qatar. Additionally, Lipa urged Qatar to honor its human rights promises following reports of abuses against migrant workers and other human rights violations.
“There is currently a lot of speculation that I will be performing at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar,” she captioned an Instagram story. “I will not be performing, and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiations to perform.”
Lipa stated that she would be “cheering England on from afar.” Additionally, she hoped to visit Qatar “when it has fulfilled all of its human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host” the international soccer contest.
The contest starts on November 20th.
Meanwhile, the Football Association has asked BTS’s Jung Kook to sing at the opening ceremony, the group said in a statement. The South Korean artist will also appear in the World Cup soundtrack.
The contest organizers have faced backlash over reports of corruption and abuse of migrant workers from Africa and Asia.
FIFA has employed these workers to build new stadiums for the competition in the country. Additionally, allegations include discrimination based on nationality, exposure to dangerous work conditions leading to deaths, and unpaid wages, USA Today said.
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Controversy
The association chose Qatar as the venue for the 2022 World Cup in 2010. And it was the first time that a Middle Eastern country hosted the event. However, international pressure of human rights violations has prompted the nation to implement labor reforms.
However, allegations continue to persist that abuses weren’t alleviating. This urged activists and officials to push for the tournament’s boycott.
FIFA encouraged World Cup teams to “focus on” the sport instead of the controversy.
On the other hand, Lipa’s home team voiced their take on the matter.
“We have always spoken about issues we think should be talked about, particularly the ones we feel we can affect,” England’s manager Gareth Southgate said.
He added: “Contrary to one or two observations in the last few weeks, we have spoken in the same way other nations have spoken about this tournament, the human rights challenges.
“We’ve been very clear on our standpoint on that.”
World Cup Facts
FIFA, or Federation Internationale de Football Association, is a governing body of football, beach football, and futsal.
It is an international contest among national associations from Belgium, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Currently, the association has 211 memberships.
To enter the competition, the members must be under one of the six regional confederations in the world. This includes Africa, Asia, Europe, North and Central America and the Caribbean, Oceania, and South America.
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Photo: NME
