David Beckham

Sir
David Beckham
OBE
Beckham at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships
Born
David Robert Joseph Beckham

(1975-05-02) 2 May 1975 (age 51)
London, England
Occupations
Organisation(s)UNICEF, Malaria No More
AgentSimon Fuller (XIX Entertainment)
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Spouse
​
(m. 1999)​
Children4, including Brooklyn and Romeo
RelativesNicola Peltz (daughter-in-law)
Association football career
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Ridgeway Rovers
1987–1991 Tottenham Hotspur
1989–1991 → Brimsdown Rovers (loan)
1991–1994 Manchester United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–2003 Manchester United 265 (62)
1995 → Preston North End (loan) 5 (2)
2003–2007 Real Madrid 116 (13)
2007–2012 LA Galaxy 98 (18)
2009 → AC Milan (loan) 18 (2)
2010 → AC Milan (loan) 11 (0)
2013 Paris Saint-Germain 10 (0)
Total 523 (97)
International career
1992–1993 England U18 3 (0)
1994–1996 England U21 9 (0)
1996–2009 England 115 (17)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Websitedavidbeckham.com

Sir David Robert Joseph Beckham (born 2 May 1975) is a former English association football player and businessman. He is now the majority owner of MLS team Inter Miami CF and the minority owner of EFL League Two club Salford City F.C..

In June 2003, Queen Elizabeth II gave David Beckham an OBE. In January 2005, David Beckham became a UNICEF ambassador. In June 2025, he was appointed a Knight Bachelor by King Charles III.

When he initially transferred from Manchester United F.C. to Real Madrid in 2003, he became the highest paid footballer in the world, although this has long since been surpassed.

Early Life

David Robert Joseph Beckham was born at Whipps Cross University Hospital in London, England on 2 May 1975. He is the son of Ted and Sandra Georgina West. He grew up in the Manchester football youth system along with Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Phil Neville, Gary Neville, and Paul Scholes who all turned out to be famous footballers. Beckham’s maternal grandfather was Jewish, and he describes himself as "half-Jewish", and wrote in his autobiography "I've probably had more contact with Judaism than with any other religion".

Career

Manchester United

From 1992 through 2003, he played for Manchester United in the Premier League.

Real Madrid

After leaving Manchester United, he signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid which ended in June 2007.

LA Galaxy

From 2007 to 2012, he played for LA Galaxy in the United States. He was loaned out to AC Milan of Italy for the 2008 - 2009 and the 2009 - 2010 seasons before joining the Galaxy again.

PSG

He played for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 until the end of the 2012/13 season. After the season ended, he retired.

England

He played for England for 13 years, from 1996 until 2009. He was dropped from the England team after giving up his England captaincy but regained his place in the England squad when Fabio Capello became the England manager in 2008.

Personal life

David Beckham's wife is singer Victoria Beckham. Some people call her Posh Spice because she was a member of the Spice Girls. The couple have three sons: Brooklyn Joseph Beckham (born 4 March 1999 in London), Romeo Beckham (born 1 September 2002 in London), and Cruz David Beckham (born 20 February 2005 in Madrid, Spain), and a daughter Harper Beckham (born 2 July 2011). She is also the youngest member of the Beckham family.

Beckham gained the nickname "Golden Balls" from Victoria, who revealed it on national television in 2008, while praising him for improving his reputation with England fans after the 1998 FIFA World Cup. When being knighted by King Charles III in November 2025, a string quartet played the song "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters, as a reference to this nickname.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Manchester United 1992–93 Premier League 00001000–10
1993–94 Premier League 000000000000
1994–95 Premier League 4020301100101
1995–96 Premier League 337312020–408
1996–97 Premier League 3682100102114912
1997–98 Premier League 379420080105011
1998–99 Premier League 346711012210559
1999–2000 Premier League 316–0012250488
2000–01 Premier League 319200012010469
2001–02 Premier League 28111000135104316
2002–03 Premier League 3163151133–5211
Total 26562246121831510139485
Preston North End (loan) 1994–95 Third Division 520000–0052
Real Madrid 2003–04 La Liga 32342–7121457
2004–05 La Liga 30400–80–384
2005–06 La Liga 31331–71–415
2006–07 La Liga 23321–60–314
Total 1161394–2822115520
LA Galaxy 2007 Major League Soccer 5000––2171
2008 Major League Soccer 25500––00255
2009 Major League Soccer 11200––40152
2010 Major League Soccer 7200––30102
2011 Major League Soccer 26200––40302
2012 Major League Soccer 24700–1160318
Total 981800–1119111820
AC Milan (loan) 2008–09 Serie A 18200–20–202
2009–10 Serie A 11000–20–130
Total 29200–40–332
Paris Saint-Germain 2012–13 Ligue 1 10020–20–140
Career total 52397351012111818313719129
  1. ↑ Includes FA Cup, Copa del Rey, Coppa Italia, Coupe de France
  2. ↑ Includes Football League Cup
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  4. 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Cup
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Appearance in FA Charity Shield
  6. ↑ One appearance in UEFA Super Cup, one appearance in Intercontinental Cup, three appearances in FIFA Club World Championship
  7. ↑ Appearances in Supercopa de España
  8. ↑ Appearances in North American SuperLiga
  9. 1 2 3 4 Appearances in MLS Cup Playoffs
  10. ↑ Appearance in CONCACAF Champions League

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
England 199630
199790
199881
199970
2000100
2001105
200293
200394
2004122
200591
200681
200750
200880
200980
Total11517
Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Beckham goal.
List of international goals scored by David Beckham
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 26 June 1998Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, France17 Colombia2–02–01998 FIFA World Cup
2 24 March 2001Anfield, Liverpool, England39 Finland2–12–12002 FIFA World Cup qualification
3 25 May 2001Pride Park, Derby England41 Mexico3–04–0Friendly
4 6 June 2001Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece42 Greece2–02–02002 FIFA World Cup qualification
5 6 October 2001Old Trafford, Manchester, England46 Greece2–22–22002 FIFA World Cup qualification
6 10 November 2001Old Trafford, Manchester, England47 Sweden1–01–1Friendly
7 7 June 2002Sapporo Dome, Sapporo, Japan51 Argentina1–01–02002 FIFA World Cup
8 12 October 2002Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia55 Slovakia1–12–1UEFA Euro 2004 qualification
9 16 October 2002St Mary's Stadium, Southampton, England56 Macedonia1–12–2UEFA Euro 2004 qualification
10 29 March 2003Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein58 Liechtenstein2–02–0UEFA Euro 2004 qualification
11 2 April 2003Stadium of Light, Sunderland, England59 Turkey2–02–0UEFA Euro 2004 qualification
12 20 August 2003Portman Road, Ipswich, England61 Croatia1–03–1Friendly
13 6 September 2003Skopje City Stadium, Skopje, Macedonia62 Macedonia2–12–1UEFA Euro 2004 qualification
14 18 August 2004St James' Park, Newcastle, England73 Ukraine1–03–0Friendly
15 9 October 2004Old Trafford, Manchester, England76 Wales2–02–02006 FIFA World Cup qualification
16 30 March 2005St James' Park, Newcastle, England80 Azerbaijan2–02–02006 FIFA World Cup qualification
17 25 June 2006Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart, Germany93 Ecuador1–01–02006 FIFA World Cup

Honours

Manchester United

Real Madrid

LA Galaxy

Paris Saint-Germain

England

Individual

Beckham's 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year runner-up trophy

Orders and special awards

Records

References

  1. ↑ "Malaria No More". malarianomore.org.uk. Archived from the original on 19 December 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "David Beckham". Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Archived from the original on 23 April 2013.
  3. ↑ "David Beckham: Overview". Premier League. Archived from the original on 15 April 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  4. ↑ "David Beckham". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "David Beckham – Rise of a Footballer". h2g2. Not Panicking. 19 August 2003. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  6. ↑ "Birthday Honours 2025". London Gazette. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  7. ↑ Reavis, Tracey Savell (2014-08-07). The Life and Career of David Beckham: Football Legend, Cultural Icon. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4422-2993-8.
  8. ↑ "David Beckham." (2009). Notable Sports Figures. Detroit: Gale Publishing. p. 113.
  9. ↑ "David Beckham: I Consider Myself To Be Jewish". Tablet Magazine. 2016-06-21. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  10. ↑ Fifield, Dominic (2007-07-13). "Beckham launches into the Galaxy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  11. ↑ Elgot, Jessica. "Jewish funeral for Beckham's grandfather". The Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  12. ↑ Smout, Alistair (6 February 2017). "Beckileaks' email furor puts brand Beckham on the back foot". Reuters. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019. Known by the nickname 'Golden Balls', the east-London born midfielder shot to fame with Manchester United thanks to his expert free-kick taking and crossing ability.
  13. 1 2 Paterniti (17 March 2016). "David Beckham on Retirement, Family Life, and Protecting His Kids". GQ. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019. That's the way it's always been with Posh and Golden Balls, as the British press is fond of calling Beckham, after Victoria revealed the nickname in a long-ago interview.
  14. ↑ Hewett, Emily (22 March 2014). "Victoria Beckham at her finest: Why is David Beckham affectionately known as Golden Balls?". Metro. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019. Praising her hubby on how he'd managed to turn his reputation around following the 1998 World Cup, which saw him forfeit England's chances after he was sent off for kicking an Argentinian footballer, she added: 'I call him Golden Balls now.'
  15. ↑ Chester, Jason (4 November 2025). "Sir David Beckham is knighted as a string quartet play KPop hit". Mail Online. Daily Mail. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
  16. ↑ "David Beckham". Stretfordend.co.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  17. ↑ "David Beckham". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  18. ↑ David Beckham at National-Football-Teams.com
  19. ↑ "David Robert Joseph Beckham – Century of International Appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 29 October 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  20. ↑ "David Beckham Bio, Stats, News – Football/Soccer –". ESPN Soccernet. Archived from the original on 28 November 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  21. ↑ "D.Beckham". Soccerway. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "David Beckham: his club and international career in stats". The Guardian. 1 July 2015.
  23. 1 2 "David Beckham: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  24. ↑ "Career Statistics". Genius.com. 18 July 2018.
  25. ↑ Campbell, Paul & Lacey, David (25 Jun 2013). "From the Vault: Recalling How England Won Le Tournoi de France in 1997". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  26. ↑ Pierrend, José Luis. "FIFA Awards". Rec.Sports.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  27. ↑ "Premier League Player Stats - Assists". premierleague.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2022. Select season in the "Filter by season" drop-down menu.
  28. ↑ "Gerrard named player of the year". BBC Sport. 23 April 2006. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  29. ↑ "Football writers honour United duo". Football Writers' Association. 14 October 2011. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  30. ↑ "Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year Award". MUFCInfo.com. Archived from the original on 9 May 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  31. ↑ "Past Winners: David Beckham". The Football Association. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  32. 1 2 3 "David Beckham". UEFA. 5 March 2013. Archived from the original on 6 November 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  33. 1 2 Davies, Christopher (15 April 2003). "The Premiership elite selection 1993–2003". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
  34. 1 2 "David Beckham receives Lifetime Achievement award". BBC Sport. 18 December 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  35. ↑ Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1997). The 1997–98 Official PFA Footballers Factfile. Queen Anne Press. p. 317. ISBN 978-1-85291-581-0.
  36. ↑ Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1998). The 1998–99 Official PFA Footballers Factfile. Queen Anne Press. p. 352. ISBN 978-1-85291-588-9.
  37. ↑ Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1999). The 1999–2000 Official PFA Footballers Factfile. AFS. p. 352. ISBN 978-1-85291-607-7.
  38. ↑ Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2000). The 2000–2001 Official PFA Footballers Factfile. AFS. p. 384. ISBN 978-1-85291-626-8.
  39. ↑ "FIFA's top 100 list". Rediff.com. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
  40. ↑ "ESPYS 2008". ESPN. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
  41. ↑ "Robbie Keane wins Best MLS Player at 2015 ESPY Awards". LAGalaxy.com. MLS. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  42. ↑ "David Beckham". National Football Museum. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  43. ↑ "Beckham voted into Premier League Hall of Fame". Premier League. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  44. ↑ "LA's Beckham named Comeback Player of the Year". Major League Soccer. 14 November 2011. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  45. ↑ "Team of the Century: 1997–2007 – the Premiership's finest of the last decade". GiveMeFootball.com. Give Me Football. 5 September 2007. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  46. ↑ "IFFHS announce the 48 football legend players". IFFHS. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  47. ↑ "David Beckham: Uefa to honour former England captain with President's Award". UEFA. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  48. ↑ "Birthday Honours 2025". London Gazette. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  49. ↑ "100 great British heroes". BBC News. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  50. ↑ "The Celebrity 100". Forbes. 14 June 2007. Retrieved 17 July 2007.
  51. ↑ "Britain's original style magazine – for men". Arena. Archived from the original on 21 May 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
  52. ↑ "David Beckham: Soccer's Metrosexual". Time. Archived from the original on 22 January 2007. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  53. ↑ "David Beckham: Do Something Athlete Award Winner!". Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  54. ↑ "A.C. Milan Hall of Fame: David Beckham". A.C. Milan. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  55. ↑ "Beckham, Ronaldo, Ward-Prowse & most Premier League free kick goals". Goal. 25 April 2022.
  56. ↑ "Tyler's stats: Mohamed Salah scores 50th Premier League for Liverpool". Sky Sports. 12 April 2019.