Robbie Williams DEFENDS decision to sing in Qatar during World Cup

Robbie Williams is performing in Qatar at the World Cup.

Robbie Williams said that it would be "hypocritical" to skip the very contentious World Cup in Qatar and justified his decision to perform there.

He made these remarks after celebrities Rod Stewart, Shakira, and Dua Lipa announced they would skip tomorrow's opening ceremony of the tournament.

Williams, 48, has been under fire for participating in the World Cup despite the fact that Qatar's record on human rights, particularly its criminalization of homosexuality and ties to Islamist terrorism, has drawn strong criticism from throughout the world.

The former Take That member said that since he has previously played in nations with questionable governments, it would be improper to forgo performing due to human rights concerns.

He continued, "I wouldn't even be able to perform in my own kitchen" if he refused to play in locations where human rights were violated.

Despite Vladimir Putin's invasion of Crimea in 2014, the singer appeared at the World Cup opening ceremony in Russia in 2018.