Former France midfielder Zinedine Zidane was paid $15m for his role as an ambassador as part of Qatar’s successful bid to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup, it was claimed in newspaper reports.
The Australian newspaper Herald Tribune claimed that Zidane was paid $15m fee for supporting the Qatari bid to host the football tournament in 2022.
“Beyond the victory of Qatar, this is especially a victory for the Arab world and the Middle East. This is what touched me most. It’s nice to have something new. It was nice to show that football belongs to everyone,” Zidane said in a statement.
“They said that Qatar was less likely [to win] because it is a small country. But Qatar represents the Arab world and today that is the logic that has prevailed. I am proud of this victory,” he added.
Other high profile stars who were attached to the Qatar bid included Pep Guardiola, Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta and Holland’s Ronald de Boer.
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