MIAMI/DOHA: Inter Miami and David Beckham are reportedly in talks with Qatar over a sponsorship deal that would cover both the Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchise and the retired soccer star.
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 1st March, are the only team in the league 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 come on board, but the 44-year-old global icon 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.
Despite Qatar’s growing influence on the game globally, it continues to face heavy criticism over migrant worker abuses, its stance on homosexuality, and other abuses of human rights.
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