24 days to go! British minister tells gay World Cup fans to 'be respectful'

James Cleverly the Foreign Secretary arrives for a Cabinet meeting, the first held by the new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in London, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. Sunak was elected by the ruling Conservative party to replace Liz Truss who resigned. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly faced criticism Wednesday after telling gay soccer fans heading to the World Cup in Qatar that they should show some "compromise" and be "respectful of the host nation."

The comments were quickly disavowed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office, while a senior figure in the opposition Labour party called them "shockingly tone deaf."