Dua Lipa denies she will perform at World Cup and hits out at Qatar’s human rights record 

Dua Lipa has addressed speculation she will be performing at the World Cup opening ceremony next week in Qatar.

The singer, 27, took to her Instagram Stories to rubbish the rumours and hit out at Qatar over its human rights record.

She wrote: ‘There is a lot of speculation that I will be performing at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar. 

Denial: Dua Lipa has addressed speculation she will be performing at the World Cup opening ceremony next week in Qatar

‘I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiation to perform.

‘I will be cheering England on from afar and I look forward to visiting Qatar when it has fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host the World Cup.’

She signed off: ‘One love, Dua x’

It comes just one week before the Qatar World Cup, with the Arab state facing growing criticism over its treatment of women, migrant workers and LGBT people. 

Having her say: The singer, 27, took to her Instagram Stories to rubbish the rumours and hit out at Qatar over its human rights record

Primary concern is the contractual conditions for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers employed to turn the tiny emirate into a region capable of hosting football’s biggest tournament. 

It is yet to be seen how much time World Cup broadcasters will spend highlighting the allegations against the Qatari government, which include 2013 claims by The Guardian that workers were denied food, water, and were stripped of their passports.

Some allege they were not paid, or if they were, the payments were minimal and long overdue. A 2019 Daily Mirror investigation found that 28,000 workers were paid roughly $1 an hour over a 48-hour week.

Most damning, The Wall Street Journal reported in 2015 that over 1,200 workers died building the infrastructure for the tournament. Last year, The Guardian put that figure at closer to 6,500.

Criticism: David Beckham has faced backlash for agreeing a £10million deal to become an ambassador for the country over a decade, which has resulted in him being the face of the World Cup 2022

Qatar also punishes homosexuality with imprisonment and considers men to be the guardians of their female relatives.

It also has strict laws on alcohol, drugs, public intimacy, relationships outside marriage, dress codes and swearing.

In March, FIFA president Gianni Infantino claimed Qatar has been progressive on labor rights: ‘I am pleased to see the strong commitment from the Qatari authorities to ensure the reforms are fully implemented across the labor market, leaving a lasting legacy of the FIFA World Cup long after the event, and benefiting migrant workers in the host country in the long term.’

Backlash: It comes just one week before the Qatar World Cup, with the Arab state facing growing criticism over its treatment of women, migrant workers and LGBT people (FIFA president Gianni Infantino pictured)

Some campaigners have urged celebrities to boycott the World Cup, with Robbie Williams and David Beckham both coming under criticism for associating with the competition.

Robbie was recently unveiled as one of the music acts set to play at the Qatar Live concerts during a press conference in Doha.

Meanwhile, David agreed a £10million deal to become an ambassador for the country over a decade, which has resulted in him being the face of the World Cup 2022.