Dua Lipa is ready to set the record straight.
The “Levitating” singer took to her Instagram stories over the weekend to shut down reports that she will be performing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“I will not perform nor have I ever been involved in negotiations to perform,” the entertainer wrote on Sunday. “I will be supporting England from afar and I look forward to visiting Qatar when they meet all the human rights commitments they made when they won the right to host the World Cup.”
The sporting event, which starts on November 20, has been the subject of controversy due to numerous allegations of human rights abuses in Qatar.
The country currently criminalizes members of the LGBTQ community, deprives women of basic rights, and exploits its largely migrant workforce, among other things.
In a letter obtained by Sky News earlier this month, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and general secretary Fatma Samoura ignored the growing backlash and instead instructed nations taking part in the event to “focus on football”.
“We know that football does not live in a vacuum and we are equally aware that there are many challenges and difficulties of a political nature around the world,” the two said. “But please don’t let football get dragged into every ideological or political battle there is.”
Some teams participating in the World Cup have denounced the abuses in Qatar.
Australia’s soccer team spoke out in a video released last month, with players expressing their support for the thousands of workers who died while working on World Cup facilities.
I’m a passionate and motivated journalist with a focus on world news. My experience spans across various media outlets, including Buna Times where I serve as an author. Over the years, I have become well-versed in researching and reporting on global topics, ranging from international politics to current events.