Many names come to mind when we think about soccer players, but David Beckham is definitely part of the top when doing so.
Not only was he a great soccer player, but his appearance of loving husband and father over the years just made people say, “Hey! This guy is something else,” of course, is a good note.
Now, new generations don’t really know that much about David Beckham or soccer players who retired for quite a while. Everything is kind of Messi, C7, and recently Mbappe. Thus, we are afraid people don’t care that much about old stars these days.
However, if you are here, that means you are somehow interested, and we are up to help you learn a bit more about Beckham.
Besides his career, we will be covering a crucial aspect: His fortune (we know you’re here for that mainly).
There’s a lot to learn, so you better prepare yourself for some action and quite the ride with this.
Early Years: Beckham’s Childhood
Naturally, we need to start when this big star was born and how he decided to play soccer. Thus, expect the usual information that people seem to be missing a bit more lately.
David Robert Joseph Beckham was born in London on May 2, 1975. He is the son of Sandra, a hairdresser, and David Edward Beckham.
He is the middle of three siblings, with Joanne Louise and Lynne Georgina as his sisters.
His life in school and details of his childhood aren’t that specific. However, Beckham knew from an early age that he wanted to play professional soccer, and his story began.
His parents were avid Manchester United supporters, and he attended many games. He was a talented boy and won the opportunity to train with Barcelona during one of the club’s talent competitions, which would contribute to his love for the sport.
He was a member of the Ridgeway Rovers youth soccer team, and his dad was one of three coaches for the team. This would be his first time on a soccer team and taking part as a player.
In 1986, he was Manchester United’s mascot in a match against West Ham United. This was followed by David being named the 1990 Under-15 Player of Year.
As a result of his talent in the court and dedication to the sport, he finally achieved results when he signed the Youth Training Scheme with Manchester United on July 8, 1991.
Beckham was one of the trainees who participated in the FA Youth Cup team that won in May 1992.
Beckham’s success in the FA Youth Cup championship match earned him a debut in the first or primary team on September 23, 1992, in a League Cup match against Brighton & Hove Albion.
On January 23, 1993, he became a professional when he was only 17 years old.
Growing a Professional Career: A Big Star
To this date, we don’t have to mention that Beckham is considered one of the best soccer players.
Yes, we know there are so many Brazilians we can mention and other Europeans; we focus on this smiley guy with many fans from all genders.
Now, how did he become such an icon in the sport and a big influential celebrity? This will take us down to his career.
After achieving success in the FA and joining the primary team for Manchester United, Beckham gave his all to debut perfectly.
His first appearance in Manchester United’s first squad was on December 7, 1994, against Port Vale.
His UEFA Champions League debut was made at home with a goal against Galatasaray in a 4-0 win. The recent professional star was shining a lot during his very first year, and the entire team couldn’t be happier with it.
One of the most memorable loans during the 90s takes us to when Beckham was loaned to Preston North End in 1994-95 for his first-team experience. Beckham played in five games, scoring two goals.
But after all, this, what happened to Manchester United? Naturally, David returned to the team and made his Premier League debut on April 2, 1995.
Beckham played in four matches, and Manchester United came second to Blackburn Rovers that season. With his performance, he quickly became Manchester United’s main midfielder, helping them win the Premier League title and the FA Cup double in 1995-96.
Beckham was a household name when he scored an astonishing goal that went beyond the goalkeeper’s head and into the net.
If you want to nurture your eyes, you should definitely Google it. Meanwhile, we must add this was during the year Beckham helped his team to retain their Premier League title.
Although the United was clearly is home by this time, Beckham was with Manchester United between 1992 and 2003 before changing to the Spanish club Real Madrid when its former team sold him.
In 2003, he made his debut with the latter team and remained with it until 2007.
During his participation with the team, his performance wasn’t as remembered as with Manchester United but didn’t disappoint either.
After deciding to leave it, he moved to Los Angeles in 2007 to play for the LA Galaxy, where he stayed until 2012, without counting the two years he was loaned to Milan in 2009 and 2010.
Beckham was a Paris Saint-Germain player when he decided to retire from professional soccer in 2013.
When he said ‘goodbye’ to his career, Beckham had a total of 97 goals scored during his professional career.
In addition to the participation in the clubs and cups, Beckham was a member of the England National Football Team from 1992-93 to 1994-96 and 1996-2009.
A Bit of His Personal Life
We kind of excluded his personal life in the previous summary, and we did it on purpose.
Sometimes, it can be a disaster to mix everything and lose track of the main focus, which was to notice his talent in the sport and career.
With this in mind, you probably know Beckham married British singer and former Spice Girl, Victoria Adams, in 1999.
They have been a couple of goals since they met in the late 90s and people just love talking about Victoria (now Beckham) just as much as they love David.
Together, they have four children: Brooking Joseph (1999), Romeo James (2002), Cruz David (2005), and Harper Seven (2011).
In addition to this info that is more of showbiz than actual information, David is known for his number of tattoos as well. With over 50 tattoos, you can see the covered arms of the former soccer player.
He also suffers from OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), and it has been affecting him in certain aspects of life. Fortunately, it is quite controllable with proper actions.
Closer Look: David Beckham’s Best Achievements
Diving again in his career, we want to take a couple of minutes to mention his best achievements.
After all, people tend to remember his early years in Manchester United alone, but there’s much more he achieved:
- FA Youth Cup Winner (1992).
- FA Youth Cup Runner-Up (1993) with Manchester United (MAN UTD).
- FA Winner, FA Cup Winner, FA Charity Field Winner. All in 1996 with Manchester United.
- FA Premier League Winner, and FA Charity Shield Winner in 1997 with MAN UTD.
- In 1999, FA Premier League and FA Cup Winner (MAN UTD).
- UEFA Champions League Winner (1999-MAN UTD).
- Three consecutive wins + one in the FA Premier League (1999-2001, 2003).
- 1999 UEFA Most Valuable Player.
- 2003 European Super Cup Winner with Real Madrid.
- Several sports awards in channels and organizations like FWA, BBC, MLS, Teen Choice Award, and more.
Money Maker: David Beckham’s Net Worth
Finally, reaching this point, we can start talking about how much this former soccer player has earned over the years.
Although you might think that most of his fortune comes from playing, it can come from other places and ventures as well.
First, you just know his current net worth in 2021, and at the moment of writing, this is set at $455 million. But where does it come from in specific?
After writing in 2013, Beckham didn’t take long to make a move that would help him continue earning quite the money.
This is why the US MLC announced on February 5, 2014, that Beckham had exercised his right to purchase an MLS expansion team at $25 million.
This is part of the newest projects and has recently come true when the new team ended up being located in Miami, Florida, and began playing in 2020. The team follows the name Club Internacional de Futbol Miami, but it is also known as Inter Miami.
Although this is more an expense than earning, the team, even without playing that properly yet, brings Beckham millions due to sponsors and based on how the team’s participation goes.
The business group Beckham Miami United, which finances a lot of David’s projects. In fact, it agreed to finance $250 million for a stadium with seating for 20,000 people.
But how much did he earn when he was playing professional soccer? Does he retain part of that fortune? You bet!
David Beckham made an estimated $255 million in his six final seasons with the LA Galaxy in MLS. This includes salary, revenue sharing, endorsements, and appearances.
While his last year as a professional earned him $50 million with Paris Saint-Germain.
There aren’t specific reports of how much he earned during his years with Manchester United. Still, his salary was said to be about $15 million before leaving the team in 2003, which we doubt considering the time between the last season and this one.
Moving on with a more recent source of income, it was widely reported in October 2021 that David signed a 10-year contract that would have paid $21 million annually to become Qatar’s tourism ambassador.
According to multiple reports, the deal is worth at least $210 million in ten years. Still, it could eventually be worth more like $280 million based on revenues and goals achieved as well as the percentage established for some activities.
However, popular opinion was against this deal since Qatar isn’t particularly known for valuing human rights, which is why some believe he signed the contract for the money only.
Additionally, Beckham Brand Holdings is co-owner by the retired English soccer player in order to protect his image, while his wife, Victoria, also has her company under the label.
Finally, let’s talk about another part that doesn’t involve soccer or direct cash: His properties.
Beckham lived in a four-bedroom house in his 20s that he purchased in 1995. However, the specific price was never mentioned.
We know that David and Victoria Beckham purchased their most famous home in 1999 for $3.3 million.
The property is situated on 24 acres of land and underwent a $4 million renovation. Due to the luxury and design, it is referred to as “Beckingham Palace” by the media.
Currently, the property is worth over $62 million and is part of the family’s largest investment in real estate.
In addition, they earned $33 million in 2018 after selling a Beverly Hills mansion with six bedrooms and ten bathrooms they bought in 2007 for $18.7 million.
They also have a home in France worth $4 million and a house in West London’s Holland Park neighborhood, which they purchased for $41 million in 2013. They bought a barn converted in Great Tew, a rural village in the Cotswolds region, for $8 million in 2016 as well.
Charity Work & Social Impact: Is He Known for Them?
Overall, David is keen on charity work and social impact, followed by his wife, Victoria.
In fact, the couple has their own charity, the Victoria and David Beckham Charitable Trust. It is dedicated to providing wheelchairs to children in need and focuses on helping them in education.
Moreover, Beckham has been a UNICEF Ambassador since his time with Manchester United and has contributed to international charity, main in the UNICEF’s Unite Against AIDS Campaign.
For the latter, he traveled to Sierra Leone in 2007 with the organization to pay a visit to different communities and children.
He, since then, has carried out several trips on his own or next to the organization as well.
Not many people know he is very active in his charity work and social impact actions, including launching pack emergency supplies during natural disasters, visiting South Africa to work with children and families affected by HIV and AIDS, or even contributing to the East African food crisis in 2011.
There are many we can list, and we are even missing the millionaire donations he has made to charities like African Wildlife Foundation, Peace One Day, Malaria No More, Novak Djokovic Foundation.
Most of the funds for his and his wife’s foundation come from their own earnings as well.
Smaller donations between $100,000 and $500,000 have been made for children’s organizations and charities, and, as you can see, his focus is for the young ones.
Finally, he has a focus on sports programs, especially for the UNICEF’S Sports for Development, which aims to build more courts, provide equipment to play, and maintain the culture of soccer and other sports in countries unable to do so.
In general, this guy does work hard to make sure he is part of the few people worrying about solving crises, including climate change, in all this.
Top 5 Most Inspiring Quotes by David Beckham
- I never do anything half-heartedly. I will continue to work hard and play hard and do everything I can to be successful, whatever I do.
- I respect all religions, but I’m not a deeply religious person. But I try and live life in the right way, respecting other people. I wasn’t brought up in a religious way, but I believe there’s something out there that looks after you.
- I’ll never forget where I’m from, never forget my roots. It doesn’t matter where I live.
- People react to criticism in different ways, and my way is definitely to come out fighting.
- Being hardworking is the best thing you can show children.
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