As he defends Qatar's hosting, Gary Neville thinks that the Middle East SHOULD host a World Cup.
Gary Neville has revised his position on the FIFA World Cup being staged in Qatar after saying on-air at the competition's opening ceremony on Sunday afternoon that the event ought to take place in the Middle East.
Neville previously stated he was going to the World Cup to "highlight issues" and has been very outspoken about his opposition to it.
The 47-year-old is of Qatari descent.
He was part of the Middle East-based commentary crew for beIN Sports and cheered on the World Cup's start in the contentious nation while on television during the tournament's glitzy opening ceremony.
On Sunday, Neville said: "The laborers who built these stadiums do need to be thanked." There should be a World Cup in an Arab country, a World Cup in a Muslim country, and a World Cup in the Middle East—that is a fact!—but football is here, it's the greatest sporting event in the world.
Neville had stated that he will "question issues" while in the country and expressed his disapproval of Qatar hosting football's premier tournament.
Neville said: "You've got a choice, haven't you?" at the beginning of November when he made his presenting debut on the BBC's Have I Got News For You. My stance has always been that you either draw attention to the problems and difficulties in these nations and speak about them, or you essentially say nothing, stay at home, and refuse to travel. And I believe we should confront them.
It has been a hot topic of conversation about how dangerous the working conditions were for migrant laborers who perished in Qatar while assisting with the construction of stadiums and other public facilities.
Gary Lineker, in contrast to Neville, dubbed the World Cup "the most controversial World Cup in history" in the introduction of the BBC's broadcast of Qatar's match versus Ecuador.
Neville, who was also a member of ITV's World Cup coverage in Qatar, served as Roy Hodgson's assistant during England's World Cup campaign in Brazil in 2014.
After a falling out with Portugal and United star Cristiano Ronaldo, the former Manchester United and England defensive stalwart will be hoping to maintain his distance from the player.
blogpay
