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1975-present

Latest News: David Beckham Opens Up in a New Netflix Series

Beckham, a docuseries about the lives of David and Victoria Beckham, premiered on Netflix on October 4. The couple had previously signed a $20 million contract with Netflix for the series, which drew significant attention from fans of the retired soccer star, while also drawing him nearly a half million new fans on social media. The series included several revelations about the Beckham couple, in particular when David, 48, and Victoria, 49, directly addressed rumors that David reportedly cheated on his wife with model Rebecca Loos in 2003. “It was a nightmare,” Victoria said. “It was an absolute circus—and everyone loves it when the circus comes to town, right? Unless you’re in it.” Roos said she endured many “disgusting” remarks on social media as a result of the Netflix series.

Who Is David Beckham?

A phenom almost from the moment he could first kick a soccer ball, David Beckham fulfilled his childhood dreams of playing for Manchester United, a legendary English team, beginning at age 18. He became a full-time starter in 1995 and remained with the club until 2003. Next, the soccer star played for Spain’s Real Madrid, before signing a five-year contract with the L.A. Galaxy, an MLS team, in 2007. Beckham retired from his professional playing days in 2013. Today, he is a part-owner of Inter Miami CF, among other business interests. He and his wife, Victoria Beckham, have been married since 1999.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: David Robert Joseph Beckham

BORN: May 2, 1975
BIRTHPLACE: Leytonstone, London, England
SPOUSE: Victoria Beckham (1999-present)
CHILDREN: Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Taurus

Early Years

Born on May 2, 1975, in the Leytonstone area of London, David Robert Joseph Beckham is the only son of Ted Beckham, an appliance repairman, and Sandra West, a hair stylist. A middle child between two sisters, David grew up with a family of committed fans to Manchester United, England’s legendary soccer franchise.

Young Beckham showed his own promise as a footballer, winning the coveted Bobby Charlton Soccer Schools National Skills competition at 11 years old. His talent soon caught the notice of Manchester United team officials, who asked him to try out for the club’s youth league. By age 16, Beckham had left home and was playing for United’s training division. Two years later, he made the club, and by 1995, he was a full-time starter.

Soccer Career

David Beckham, seen here in February 2002, played for Manchester United for 10 years.
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Beckham wasted little time in making a splash on the English soccer landscape. The talented goal scorer was named the Professional Footballers’ Association Young Player of the Year in 1997. A year later, he was one of the leading faces of England’s World Cup team. In 1998, Beckham, who’d already signed a deal with Adidas, netted $13 million in endorsement deals.

In 1999, he led Manchester United to the Premier League title, the FA Cup championship, and the Champions League title. Thanks to a last-minute free kick against Greece in 2001, England qualified for the 2002 World Cup. That same year, Beckham signed a three-year $22 million contract to remain with Manchester United.

But Beckham’s time with United proved to be shorter than anyone thought. In 2003, he was acquired by Real Madrid in a stunner of a deal that brought to light Beckham’s growing rift with Manchester’s then-manager Alex Ferguson.

Spanish soccer fans were thrilled to have their archrival join their team. Americans, meanwhile, were just getting to know him with the release of the 2002 movie Bend It Like Beckham, which follows a young girl who bucks her family’s traditional ways in order to play soccer.

David Beckham playing for L.A. Galaxy during the game at Home Depot Center on April 3, 2008 in Carson, California.
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America’s fascination with Beckham and his decade of dominance culminated in 2007 when the soccer great moved across the Atlantic on a reported five-year, $250 million deal with the L.A. Galaxy. The relocation was as much about giving Victoria Beckham’s career a boost (she helped drive the decision to move to the States) as it was to give America’s MLS a shot in the arm. Within 48 hours of the signing, the Galaxy sold more than 5,000 season tickets.

Beckham’s career after moving to the United States, however, was a rocky one. He was beset by injuries, spraining a knee ligament his first season in Los Angeles, and later missed out on a chance to play in the 2010 World Cup because of an Achilles tendon injury.

BIOGRAPHIES OF OTHER SOCCER STARS

Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo
Neymar

On May 16, 2013—just days after winning a title with French club Paris Saint-Germain—the 38-year-old Beckham announced that he would retire at the end of the season, ending his 21-year soccer career.

“I wouldn’t have achieved what I have done today without my family. I’m grateful for my parents’ sacrifice, which made me realize my dreams,” Beckham said in a statement. “I owe everything to Victoria and the kids, who have given me the inspiration and support to play at the highest level for such a long period… If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over 100 times and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy. I’m fortunate to have realized those dreams.”

MLS Team Owner and Other Ventures

In 2014, Beckham and other investors announced plans to create a new MLS team in Miami. “This is an exciting time for myself, my family, my friends and partners, and it is something we are really looking forward to bringing to Miami,” Beckham said that February. He is the first former athlete to become a team owner in modern MLS history. Inter Miami CF officially launched in January 2018 and had its first game in March 2020. In July 2023, Inter Miami signed all-time great Lionel Messi to the team.

Dating back to his soccer days, Beckham has been involved in various charity work. Most notably, he has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2005.

Net Worth

Beckham has been described as one of the world’s wealthiest athletes, with a reported net worth of $450 million. He and his wife, Victoria Beckham, have a combined net worth of $514 million.

Beckham has amassed his fortune from his time as an athlete, as well as his successful business ventures off the field. Forbes estimated he earned $255 million during his six years playing for the MLS (including endorsements and licensing). At the time of his retirement, he was the 7th highest paid athlete of all time, according to The Mirror, with a reported total earnings of $800 million.

An in-demand influencer for years, the soccer star has signed deals with companies such as Adidas, Haig Clubn whisky, Armani, and PepsiCo. In 2012, he started an underwear line for the clothing brand H&M. As part of Beckham’s marketing campaign with H&M, six 10-foot statues of the soccer star in his underwear were installed in New York City; others were installed in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Beckham reportedly boasts a $44 million art collection and spends an average of $46,000 per day on his hobbies, which includes collecting Elvis Presley memorabilia.

Wife and Children

David and Victoria Beckham, seen here in February 2019, have been married for nearly 25 years.
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David Beckham has been married to Victoria Beckham, also known as Posh Spice of the Spice Girls, since July 4, 1999. Even before meeting her, Beckham predicted to friends that he would one day marry her after watching the 1997 movie Spice World, telling them, “See that one there? I’m going to marry that one.” They met at a Manchester United game in 1997, and the two quickly fell in love. The couple tied the knot at a lavish $800,000 wedding at a castle outside of Dublin.

The couple learned they were pregnant with their first child just before a World Cup match in 1998, which prompted Beckham’s reply: “Oh blimey, you couldn’t have picked a worst time.” Their son Brooklyn Beckham was born in March 1999. The couple have three more children: sons Romeo and Cruz, born in September 2002 and February 2005, respectively; and daughter Harper, born in July 2011.