David Beckham was football's first pop superstar – now the English style icon turns 50

Everything David Beckham touches turns to liquid gold. That's how director Fisher Stevens portrays him in the 2023 Netflix documentary "Beckham."

In one scene, the film crew accompanies the former footballer on his vast estate in the south of England. Beckham is now, among other things, a beekeeper, but dressed as fashionably as ever. He rushes from incubator to incubator, skimming off the honey.

Everything about Beckham appears effortlessly beautiful, clean, and cool. Just like he used to be on the pitch. But Beckham surrounded by bees – the image is also striking in another way; it points to perhaps his most important quality: tenacity. The Englishman owes his success as a footballer and as a businessman to this. "Becks" was always a hard worker. Like the bees. He defied all odds.

Beckham could have broken down early in his career.

The first time was after the 1998 World Cup in France. In the round of 16 against Argentina, he was sent off for assaulting Diego Simeone, and England were eliminated in a penalty shootout. A scapegoat was quickly found: National coach Glenn Hoddle blamed Beckham for the defeat, and the tabloid media launched an unprecedented campaign against him. Fans erected a gallows with a dummy of him and sent death threats. For months, he was booed mercilessly in English stadiums. At 23, Beckham was the nation's bogeyman.

In the Netflix documentary, Beckham's wife Victoria says David was "clinically depressed" at the time. But he didn't let it get him down. During that time, he was helped by Alex Ferguson, his coach at Manchester United. He had steered Beckham into the English record champions' youth academy at the age of 15. After leaving home early, the Scotsman became an important supporter and mentor to Beckham, a "second father," as Beckham repeatedly emphasized.

With his authoritarian yet caring nature, Ferguson resembled Beckham's biological father. Ted Beckham once had his son play thousands of passes in the garden so that he could become what was denied to him as a Manchester United fan: a professional footballer for his favorite team.

The fact that David actually made his debut for Manchester United at the age of 17 had a lot to do with his father's drive for perfection; his son had long since internalized this. Ferguson rewarded Beckham's diligence by quickly promoting him to a regular starter. Under his leadership, the midfielder matured into a specialist for crosses, curled free kicks, and wing-bound runs over 60 meters. And he became an England international.

Beckham's rise to prominence was rapid, and under him, Manchester United became the best team in Europe: In the 1998/1999 season, Ferguson's team won the treble of league, FA Cup, and Champions League. In the legendary Champions League final in Barcelona, ​​Man U triumphed 2-1 against FC Bayern – thanks to two Beckham corners in stoppage time.

In 1997, Beckham met "Spice Girl" Victoria Adams. The footballer was a rising talent at the time, while Adams and her band were at the height of their music careers. Through his relationship with "Posh Spice," Beckham became a pop star, and he and his partner became a constant topic of conversation in British tabloids. The two married in 1999 and have since served as a template for all subsequent football showbiz couples. None came close to the glamour of "Posh & Becks."

The hype surrounding the couple steadily grew. Initially, Ferguson was protective of his player. But his off-field commitments increasingly angered him. Ferguson subordinated everything to the team spirit; Beckham became more eccentric with each season.

He constantly had new haircuts, wore extravagant clothes, modeled men's underwear, had his fingernails painted, and covered his entire body in tattoos. In the early 2000s, Beckham shaped a new kind of masculinity; the media celebrated him as the first "metrosexual" man. He became a style icon for an entire generation and the prototype of the modern footballer, who transcended being a team player and became a brand in his own right.

This caused controversy in the Man Utd dressing room. Ferguson says in the Netflix documentary: "Beckham changed. Becoming a celebrity wasn't what I wanted." The player took a more pragmatic view of his transformation. He simply understood early on that his career as a professional footballer would end at some point and that he would have to prepare for the time afterward. Beckham subordinated everything to this goal; in Manchester, he became not only a football star, but above all a model, advertising ambassador—and promoter in his own right. But this led to a break with Man Utd, his great footballing love, in 2003.

After a defeat, Ferguson kicked a boot across the dressing room, hitting Beckham on the head. The player tried to attack the manager, but his teammates held him back. After the falling-out, Ferguson ordered the number seven shirt to be sold. Beckham later said he never wanted to leave Manchester United and begged the club to let him stay. To no avail. Ferguson spurned him. Because Beckham, the eccentric individualist, had become bigger than the team.

This, too, could have broken him. But Beckham once again found a way to cope with the lack of recognition – he moved to Real Madrid.

However, he was just one of many in Los Blancos' star-studded lineup. They had little use for the handsome player on the pitch, as Luis Figo was already playing in his position.

Beckham, then 28, had already passed his prime in football terms. The media focus was now more on Beckham's lifestyle than on his performances on the pitch. Gossip magazines reported on affairs. The media publicly questioned his marriage to Victoria and speculated about a separation. For the Beckhams, their time in Madrid became increasingly stressful, especially as paparazzi followed their every move. Victoria never felt comfortable in Spain and stayed in England with the children as often as possible.

In addition, Beckham had only moderate success with Real. The club seemed saturated and in decline by the mid-2000s. The only major title Beckham won during his four years in Madrid was the 2007 Spanish championship.

Nevertheless, the liaison was a smart partnership for both parties: Beckham benefited from the enormous popularity and reach of the world's biggest football club, and Real Madrid benefited from the marketing of another "Galactic." The club recouped the transfer costs of approximately €35 million through the sale of Beckham jerseys alone, as well as through tours of Asia and the USA. Many fans there came to the stadium solely for "Becks," football's first pop superstar.

But in January 2007, he also experienced a lack of love in Madrid. At that time, Beckham announced that he would be moving to Los Angeles Galaxy in the Major League Soccer (MLS) that summer, after his contract in Madrid expired. In California, he signed a five-year, $250 million contract.

His decision was criticized in Europe. At that time, top players from Europe's top leagues rarely went to the USA – especially not in their early 30s. Fabio Capello, his coach at Real, said in January 2007, reflecting on their last months together: "Beckham will no longer play for us, only train."

But he persisted once again. Shortly after the public demotion, Beckham was back in the starting lineup, and after the season, he made a conciliatory exit to Hollywood.

Beckham's five-year adventure in the USA wasn't for sporting reasons, nor were his brief stints with AC Milan (2009 and 2010) and Paris Saint-Germain, where he ended his professional career in 2013. Rather, he was overseas on an entrepreneurial mission: Beckham's arrival sparked unprecedented football euphoria in the USA, and he is still considered a key figure in the American league's resurgence. Later, other stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry, and Lionel Messi followed.

By joining Los Angeles Galaxy, Beckham secured the option to later found his own MLS team at a significantly reduced price. In 2018, he put his plan into action with Inter Miami. The club is now one of the most prominent MLS clubs, boasting veteran stars such as Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. In 2023, Beckham said of his role as co-owner of Inter Miami: "It's been a journey full of ups and downs, but I'm proud of how it's turned out. We've changed soccer in the USA."

Beckham's personal journey was also unsettled. The affairs in Madrid put a strain on the family with their four children, as did the frequent relocations. Nevertheless, the marriage has endured to this day . "We are fighters," Beckham says about himself and Victoria in the Netflix documentary.

Beckham has long since become a successful entrepreneur and style icon. He has a lifetime contract with Adidas and advertises for Pepsi, H&M, Boss, Gillette, and Maserati. "I'm lucky to have become famous in football, but I wanted to make it something long-term," he once said.

The boy from a working-class English family has become a global brand.

There's only one life goal Beckham hasn't yet achieved: to be crowned Sir by King Charles III one day. But there's still time for that. David Beckham celebrates his 50th birthday on Friday.