Top 10 Greatest David Beckham Moments of All Time
These are the moments that turned David Beckham into one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best and most iconic events in the life of the football and fashion superstar David Beckham on and off the pitch that morphed him into a legend.
Transcript
00:00 I don't give up easy.
00:01 Here's Beckham.
00:02 He's done it now!
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo,
00:07 and today we're counting down our picks for the best and most iconic events
00:11 in the life of football and fashion superstar David Beckham
00:14 on and off the pitch that morphed him into a legend.
00:17 David Beckham,
00:19 surely an England player of the future,
00:22 scores a goal that will be talked about and replayed for years.
00:28 Number 10, Class of '92.
00:30 A special moment for our career,
00:33 we're all in this stadium, so obviously to be here at any point,
00:38 you know, brings back the best memories.
00:41 If you talk to any Manchester United fan,
00:44 they're bound to mention the Class of '92.
00:46 This refers to a host of footballing legends
00:48 coming through the United youth system,
00:50 winning the FA Youth Cup,
00:51 and being promoted to the first team around the same time.
00:54 It was an achievement,
00:56 but it's never enough to just win one trophy.
00:59 OK, next year, we're going to do it again.
01:02 In addition to David Beckham,
01:04 other big names in this class included Paul Scholes,
01:06 Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and Gary and Phil Neville.
01:09 This group of players became the club's backbone for many years,
01:13 turning United into a powerhouse on the world stage.
01:16 You always hope and think that things will happen again,
01:20 but will there ever be a time where six lads who grew up
01:24 from the age of 12, 13, come through and win a treble,
01:29 having supported the club?
01:31 I'm not sure.
01:32 Number nine, his relationship with Victoria Beckham.
01:35 Already one of the biggest stars on the pitch,
01:37 Beckham's popularity would soar even further
01:40 after his relationship with singer and fashion icon
01:42 Victoria Adams became public.
01:44 I knew as soon as I met him, I mean,
01:46 one of the most attractive things I found with David
01:48 is that he shared the same sort of family values as me.
01:51 You know, he was sitting there with his family
01:53 and I really liked that and he's a very kind person
01:56 and we're really good friends on top of everything.
01:59 Due to each of their immense popularity and status,
02:02 the relationship drew significant media attention
02:04 and they were labeled as a celebrity power couple.
02:07 Their relationship spawned a cultural phenomenon
02:09 and many often took notice due to their fashion sense
02:12 and the luxurious lifestyles they continued
02:14 to lead to this day.
02:15 The wedding, let's talk about the wedding.
02:17 Wedding was over the top.
02:18 They had it at this castle that costs $8,000 a night
02:22 to stay in.
02:22 The Beckhams spent $800,000 on their wedding.
02:26 Since tying the knot in 1999,
02:28 the couple has remained strong
02:30 and continues to be a fixture in pop culture
02:32 along with their four children.
02:34 But David is the most wonderful husband
02:37 and fantastic father and a real inspiration to all of us.
02:40 Number eight, the Galacticos.
02:42 The day I signed here was incredible for me
02:44 because it was a whole new experience.
02:47 By 2003, David Beckham's fairy tale
02:49 with Manchester United had come to an end
02:51 after a falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson
02:53 and his increasing fame, it was time to move on.
02:56 And when I got home, I think I actually cried
02:58 because it was Man United.
03:00 It was a team that I'd been at for my whole life.
03:04 So for a 24.5 million pound fee,
03:07 he chose Spain's Real Madrid to be a cog
03:09 in the Galacticos machine, a squad filled with big names.
03:13 During his four seasons with the club,
03:15 Beckham left a lasting impression with 159 appearances,
03:19 52 assists, 20 goals and winning La Liga
03:22 and the Spanish Super Cup.
03:24 But in 2007, Beck's opted to move to LA Galaxy in the US,
03:28 turning the MLS into one of the most talked about
03:31 in the world.
03:32 ♪ You say goodbye ♪
03:34 ♪ And I say hello ♪
03:37 ♪ Hello, hello ♪
03:39 ♪ I don't know why you say goodbye ♪
03:42 ♪ I say hello ♪
03:44 The deal also gave him the option of owning a franchise,
03:47 foreshadowing his tenure as co-owner of Inter Miami.
03:50 The fact that this is now happening,
03:52 the fact that I look at our stadium
03:56 and the white lines are down and the goals are up
03:58 and that for me, you know, that's an exciting moment.
04:02 Number seven, national captain.
04:04 It's the launch of the New England kit.
04:06 The UK's first World Cup's lost great and far.
04:10 As England captain, David takes center stage.
04:13 In 2000, England's caretaker manager, Peter Taylor,
04:17 was looking to the nation's future in a game against Italy.
04:19 So he handed the captain's armband
04:22 to then 25-year-old David Beckham,
04:24 fulfilling the midfielder's childhood dream.
04:26 When Sven-Goran Eriksson became the permanent manager
04:29 in 2001, he kept Beck's as captain.
04:32 This showed the world he was more than a celebrity
04:34 and talented player, he was a leader.
04:36 Beckham, out of 115 England caps altogether,
04:40 wore the armband in 59 appearances
04:42 before resigning from the role after the 2006 World Cup,
04:45 with only three players having worn it more than him
04:47 for the nation at the time.
04:49 I'm extremely proud to have worn the armband
04:53 and been captain of England.
04:54 And for that, I will always be grateful.
04:57 Number six, torchbearer.
04:58 I recognize the driver.
05:00 Over the years, Beckham has been a vital supporter
05:03 of all sports, not just football.
05:05 And that was evident with his involvement
05:07 in getting London the Olympics.
05:09 It's an amazing sporting event, you know,
05:12 a sporting event that is one of the biggest sporting events
05:16 in history.
05:17 So for that to happen now in London,
05:20 especially the East End of London,
05:22 it's an exciting time.
05:24 In 2005, Beck's was part of the team
05:26 that secured their bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.
05:29 And by the time the ceremony came to the UK,
05:32 Beckham was there to carry the famous torch.
05:35 Like something out of a James Bond movie,
05:37 he drove a speedboat along the River Thames
05:39 as fellow footballer Jade Bailey held the fiery item.
05:42 Strangely, while Beckham was in the provisional squad,
05:45 he wasn't selected for the final team GB men's football team.
05:49 Nonetheless, he was still at the event
05:51 to support the athletes.
05:53 Number five, the fall before the rise.
05:56 Just kind of swung my leg up
05:58 in a stupid way.
06:02 Soon as I'd done that, I knew that I was off.
06:07 I knew that I'd made a huge mistake.
06:11 At the 1998 World Cup,
06:12 David Beckham became public enemy number one in England
06:15 after being sent off for the national side
06:17 when he kicked Argentina's Diego Simeone.
06:20 The game also saw England knocked out of the tournament.
06:23 Beckham received verbal abuse wherever he went for months.
06:26 To receive that level of abuse
06:29 for a mistake that someone had made on a football field,
06:33 it was sickening, it was vile,
06:35 it was bordering on criminal.
06:37 Some of the things that he had to put up with.
06:38 It was a make or break moment for the midfielder.
06:41 Most would struggle to come back from that, but not Beck's.
06:44 Instead, he worked hard and got his redemption.
06:47 One example of this was during the 2002 World Cup
06:50 when England faced Argentina in Group F.
06:53 When England got a penalty kick,
06:54 Beckham stepped up and tucked it away nicely.
06:57 He's big enough.
06:59 Captain's example, David Beckham,
07:05 England lead Argentina.
07:08 Those three little words that mean so much.
07:11 The relief and joy on his face were clear
07:13 as he celebrated what turned out to be the winning goal.
07:17 Number four, treble winner.
07:19 The 1998-99 season for Manchester United
07:22 was one of the greatest of all time.
07:24 You know, we've just got to set our sights on
07:27 doing well and playing well in them games.
07:29 So, you know, we're looking forward to it now.
07:31 Now we've won this, it's given us a bit more confidence
07:33 to go and, you know, hopefully win the other two.
07:35 After all, they became the first English club
07:37 to win the Premier League, FA Cup,
07:39 and UEFA Champions League.
07:41 And David Beckham was an essential part of this feat.
07:44 He scored one of the goals against Tottenham Hotspur
07:46 that secured the Premier League
07:47 and played in the FA Cup final victory
07:49 against Newcastle United.
07:51 His heroics against Bayern Munich
07:53 in the Champions League final are fondly remembered.
07:55 Beckham, in towards Schmeichel,
07:58 it's come for Dwight Yorke.
08:00 Cleared, Giggs with the shot,
08:01 and it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:03 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:05 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:07 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:09 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:11 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:13 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:15 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:17 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:19 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:21 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:23 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:25 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:27 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:29 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:31 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:33 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:35 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:37 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:39 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:41 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:43 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:45 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:47 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:49 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:51 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:53 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:55 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:57 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
08:59 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:01 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:03 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:05 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:07 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:09 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:11 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:13 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:15 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:17 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:19 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:21 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:23 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:25 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:27 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:29 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:31 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:33 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:35 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:37 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:39 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:41 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:43 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:45 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:47 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:49 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:51 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:53 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:55 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:57 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
09:59 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:01 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:03 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:05 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:07 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:09 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:11 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:13 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:15 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:17 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:19 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:21 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:23 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:25 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:27 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:29 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:31 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:33 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:35 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:37 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:39 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:41 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:43 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:45 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:47 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:49 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:51 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:53 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:55 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:57 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
10:59 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
11:01 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
11:03 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
11:05 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
11:07 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
11:09 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
11:11 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
11:13 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
11:15 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
11:17 And it's a goal for Tottenham.
11:19 Beck signed off in a typical fashion,
11:21 assisting on a goal in a 3-1 win.
11:23 And now Beckham will hand over the captain's armband
11:27 and bring the curtain down on a glorious career.
11:31 A standing ovation from the Par-Deprins crowd,
11:36 including his wife, Victoria, and his sister, Joanna.
11:40 As he was subbed off, an emotional Beckham thanked the fans.
11:43 And it marked the end of one of the most decorated careers in football history.
11:48 Which Beckham moment is your favorite?
11:50 Let us know in the comments.
11:52 You haven't seen nothing yet.
11:54 There's more to come.
11:55 Maybe.
11:56 Did you enjoy this video?
11:58 Check out these other clips from WatchMojo
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