Former football star: For England, David: Beckham is 50

David Beckham is slowly coming to an age when more and more football fans say: I haven’t seen it anymore. Today (May 2) the former English international, who once shaped a new type of professional athlete, celebrates his 50th birthday. And the older Beckham gets, the more people will ask: Oh, did he play football?

In London it is no longer the pictures of Beckham in the fire-red jersey of Manchester United or in the blossom white of the English national team, which can be seen in the tube stations and tourist roads. Beckham advertises on the tap for beer or – although it should actually be over – upper body -free for fashion. The classic ex-footballer has never been the man of Spice Girl Victoria (51).

The big career after the great career

Together with Victoria, who, as a pop star of the 90s and fashion designer in her part, is much more than just the player, Beckham has built up something that the British “Guardian called” Brandken Imperium “. In the short biography on his website, a paragraph is dedicated to sport – and four everything that came afterwards.

Beckham was and is a model for a wide variety of fashion brands, face of your own brand, co-owner of the US club Inter Miami, ambassador for charity projects, part-time actors and, and, and. “A real icon,” said the chief of fashion brand Hugo Boss last year, “both in the world of sport and in the fashion industry”.

It is hardly possible to keep an overview of all the advertising contracts and appearances of the Beckhams in the past two decades – as well as the monetary value of the Brit couple. Quite incompatible: it will be significantly more than a double -digit million amount. David and Victoria met in 1997 in a football game, in 1999 the glamor couple married.

David and Victoria have three sons who have already moved out of home, and a daughter who still lives with their parents. So far, the youngsters have not pulled into professional sports, but, at least in part, in the fashion industry. For the less squeamish British tabloid press, the family residing in London and Miami, among others, is now also reported on the friends of the sons.

(K) A normal 50-year-old?

The ups and downs of family life has been seen in a documentary series at the Netflix streaming service since 2023. Beckham was allowed to accompany the camera team to home. Despite the reported reports on an alleged affair by David during his football career, the four parts convey the image of a harmonious relationship – and also by a man who does not have to be in public, but prefers to have his peace in his modern grill pavilion in the garden.

The 50th birthday is not a disturbing date for him, Beckham said in an interview with the “Men’s Health UK”. It is important that he and his family are healthy. With a view to the photos of the underwear advertising, which was sometimes also seen in London at the beginning of the year on the big video walls at the Piccadilly Circus, it may be easier for him to find such a sentence than other almost 50-year-olds.

The price for the body of a younger one is said to have been two training sessions for several weeks every day. The former star player doesn’t work without any sport.

With his gifted right foot, Beckham had become one of the formative players of his generation without all the glamor and advertising value. Flanks, corner balls and free kicks – nobody could do that like Beckham. Two examples: his cross in the corner led to the Champions League victory of Manchester United in 1999 against FC Bayern, his directly transformed free kick against Greece 2001 England to the World Cup in the following year.

Beckham played 115 times for the national team. In 59 games he led the Three Lions as captain. At the club level he became an icon at Man United. The change in 2003 to the then “galactic” of Real Madrid and later to Los Angeles no longer only had sporting reasons. Beckham came (even more) glamor and for the clubs the opportunity to earn millions with merchandising.

However, Beckham has so far been denied an honor for all merits and services, especially in the jersey of his home country and later as a benefactor. “Again again,” wrote the “Mirror” at the end of last year, the knighthood will be denied – again to the delight of the tabloids.

The reasons for or against a “Sir David Beckham” are not completely clarified. It is obvious that he is one of the most famous British fans of the royal family. After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Beckham stood in line for hours to pay the last honor for the monarch lived in Westminster Hall. Perhaps helpful: Beckham has been an ambassador for the “King’s Foundation”, which of today’s King Charles III. was founded.