Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Independent TV

Showing now | News

Qatar 2022: James Cleverly asks fans to ‘be respectful’ and ‘make compromises’ at World Cup

00:51

World Cup 2022: James Cleverly asks LGBT football fans to ‘be respectful of host nation’ Qatar

James Cleverly has suggested that LGBT football fans should "be respectful" of host nation Qatar during the 2022 World Cup next month.

"I think with a little bit of flex and compromise at both ends, it can be a safe, secure and exciting World Cup," the foreign secretary told LBC.

Homosexuality is illegal in the Gulf state, a fact that has been highlighted by activists since Qatar was announced as the competition's host.

Mr Cleverly also said he had spoken with authorities about "how they will treat" gay football fans travelling for the cup.

Sign up for our newsletters.

Up next

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in