David Beckham at 50 – despite the scandals, nothing can tarnish his reputation

Irish Independent

03-05-2025

That famous biker? Not some twentysomething Gen Z star, but former England footballer David Beckham, who celebrated his 50th birthday yesterday.
It's testament to Beckham's extraordinary career longevity and unusual international reach, not to mention the fact that his brand is seemingly Teflon.
Despite some major reputational blows, from the 1998 World Cup sending off and Rebecca Loos's 2004 claims of an extramarital affair to controversy over the Qatar-hosted 2022 World Cup, Beckham is entering his golden years more professionally successful and adored than ever.
A video posted by his wife Victoria on Thursday night showed the pair dancing together apparently without a care in the world − and it's easy to see why.
Last year Beckham's holding company, DRJB Holdings, approved $124million (€109m) of dividend payouts, with Beckham entitled to $35m (€30m).
He's also the co-owner of Inter Miami football club and his business empire includes production company Studio 99, which made the 2023 Netflix documentary Beckham.
Not bad for a man who was once ridiculed as the quintessential dumb footballer.
Former teammate and close friend Gary Neville thinks that media circus around the Beckhams obscured their work ethic and ambition. 'When you've got a Spice Girl and the England captain getting together, the paparazzi and tabloid element made them look unserious. Actually, they're both incredibly driven,' he said.
Looking back, Beckham's zeal for building a career beyond English football was always evident, Neville said, even if many questioned his decisions at the time.
'I was disappointed on a personal level when he left Manchester United, but he would never have the global appeal he has today without playing for Real Madrid and LA Galaxy,' he added.
Yet the Beckham journey might have come to a crashing halt in 1998. After being fouled by Argentina player Diego Simeone in a crucial World Cup match, Beckham petulantly kicked Simeone while he was lying on the ground, and received a red card; England then lost on penalties.
The response was vitriolic.One London pub even hanged an effigy. Speaking in the Netflix documentary, Beckham, who was just 23 at the time of the incicent, recalled: 'The whole country hated me.'
Beckham had not actually seen the effigy before revisiting this nightmare in the documentary, explains Nicola Howson, co-founder with Beckham of Studio 99.
'He'd heard about it of course, but this was all before social media. I was in the room when [director] Fisher Stevens showed him that footage for the first time and I watched how it affected him,' she said.
Neville added: 'I always felt the scrutiny around David was disproportionate. He was public enemy number one − booed at every ground. But I look back on that moment as something that informed his character and built his resilience. David has incredibly thick skin. You can't be at that level and not expect criticism. You never hear him whingeing about it.'
Beckham was able to put that particular crisis behind him simply by continuing to play, and play brilliantly, even if suspicions lingered that his activities off the pitch were a distraction.
But perhaps that was an old-fashioned attitude. Now, we mostly accept that leading athletes all cash in with numerous side hustles.
Howson explained that 'the big American sports stars were [Beckham's] heroes growing up, particularly Michael Jordan. American athletes were ahead of the game the way they built their commercial brands and businesses and he always found that inspiring.'
A key part of Beckham's success was making it big in the States.
Paddy Harverson, who was Manchester United's director of communications from 2000 to 2004, said: 'When I first met him as a young footballer he clearly had a very strong idea of his own persona and how he projected himself.
'He cracked America because he's self-evidently committed to his football. Going to LA Galaxy, he didn't just treat it as a pre-retirement gig. Now he's playing a huge part in the growth of the league in the States.'
Yet despite his wealth and status, the public still seems to have great affection for the boy-next-door version of Beckham. Richardson put that down to him and Victoria 'mastering the high-low balance. You see him partying with Tom Cruise, then eating at the local pie and mash shop.'
Richardson said that Beckham's marriage to Victoria is a fairy tale 'that we all want to believe in. It's the classic sort of captain of the football team and head cheerleader match-up. They could be the hot couple in a romance novel. Weirdly they're both aspirational and underdogs, because they've had a lot of stick. But either they're really good at acting or they've proven that it's a true love match'.
However, this apparently solid union, and Beckham's image as a devoted family man, was called into question in 2004 when his former personal assistant Rebecca Loos claimed that they had had a four-month affair. Beckham denied the allegations, calling them 'ludicrous', but that didn't stop the tabloid feeding frenzy.
Yet Loos's version of events didn't hurt Beckham's status − she told Kay Burley on Sky One that he was an 'amazing lover' − and once again he and Victoria survived a scandal by simply outlasting it.
The couple have now been married almost 26 years, and have effectively balanced their separate and joint brands.
'I can't think of any other couple in the public eye who have achieved things in their own right and yet have also maintained this very strong double act,' Harverson said.
That close-knit relationship was well showcased in the Beckham documentary, Richardson said.
'They've harnessed all these different tools over the years, from pioneering the magazine wedding deal with OK! to recognising the power of a Netflix doc and becoming massive on Instagram.
'They understand the dynamic of social media − they give us just enough access, and they take the piss out of each other.
2They saw how that funny exchange in the doc, where Victoria says she's working class and David goes 'Be honest', was going viral and they leaned into it. Victoria had a T-shirt made [reading 'My dad had a Rolls-Royce'], and they re-created the moment for an Uber Eats Super Bowl commercial. They're disciplined with their brand, but they can be in on the joke.'
However, being a major cultural figure, rather than just a sporting one, can be tricky to navigate.
Arguably, Beckham's biggest misstep was not anticipating the backlash that would come from him becoming brand ambassador for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar − a nation with a grim record on LGBTQ+ rights.
That was in stark contrast to him posing for the cover of Attitude magazine back in 2002 and saying he was honoured to be called a gay icon.
Comedian Joe Lycett released a video offering £10,000 to charity if Beckham pulled out of the deal, otherwise he would shred the money in protest.
Richardson said Beckham's Qatar endorsement was 'incredibly tone-deaf'.
However, Neville pointed out that Beckham had been playing 'at Paris Saint-Germain for a while and he knew and respected the owners [Qatar Sports Investments], and I'd been going to the Middle East for 25 years and had never had to apologise for it before then. Because it was the World Cup, it became this huge magnet for criticism.' Ultimately, it became another example of Beckham riding out the storm.
The next generation of Beckhams − sons Brooklyn (26), Romeo (22) and Cruz (20), and daughter Harper (13) − have yet to make their mark. In 2017 Brooklyn's inane photography book was soundly mocked, and he hasn't fared much better as a so-called chef.
Perhaps Beckham hasn't been overtaken by younger stars because he embraces his celebrity.
'I find celebrities who moan about the attention really annoying. David is prepared to play the game,' Richardson said.
Going from hero to villain and back again, at 50 Beckham isn't just playing the game − he's the champion.