David Beckham - a modern style icon
Back in 2001, England nearly missed out on the World Cup tournament the following year in Japan and South Korea. In the deciding qualifier against Greece, England trailed 1-2 well into injury time. Free kick in the 93rd minute. David Beckham takes the ball. Puts it away. Takes a run-up and shoots. He curls it around the Greek wall from 35 yards, and the ball sails in behind an unsuspecting Greek goalkeeper.
It saved England, who could travel to the World Cup, where they eliminated Denmark with a 3-0 win in the Round of 16. But that's another story. The decisive goal is Beckham's free-kick at his home ground of Old Trafford in Manchester on 6 October 2001. For it was a goal that contained everything that is now associated with David Beckham's footballing career: a sublime understanding of the game, vision and a more than elegant technique. The goal saved England's self-esteem. And is still regarded as one of the most important goals in English national team football. In fact, British fans considered it the greatest goal ever scored.
But it's not for his many goals that he still has a place in English hearts. Throughout his career, he scored just 129 goals in the 719 club games he played. And just 17 in his 115 international appearances for England. Compared to Lionel Messi's 750-plus goals and Cristiano Ronaldo's 800-plus goals, that's negligible. It's his impact on the team that made him beloved. And his brilliant passes.
At the 2002 World Cup, England finished a disappointing sixth. They were knocked out in the quarter-finals by the eventual world champions Brazil. But Beckham's efforts - both for the national team and for Manchester United - were enough for Queen Elizabeth to knight him with the Order of the British Empire the following year in 2003.
Throughout his career, David Beckham has played for the big clubs: Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, which was the last club he played for before retiring in 2013. He also played for LA Galaxy from 2007-12.
Success can be measured in many ways. It is indisputable that Beckham was successful as a footballer. And arguably his club wages and national team salary laid the foundations for his financial success. But that is nothing compared to the income his personal image and brand generate today. For example, in 2020 he signed a contract with the producer of the popular computer game FIFA 2021, which according to press reports was worth more than €350 million. That's more money than he managed to earn during his time at Manchester United. He has also been a walking billboard for major international brands such as Tudor Watches, Adidas, Pepsi and, of course, Brylcreem.
It has certainly played a part in his image that, unlike so many other football millionaires, he has never spilled the beans or been involved in serious scandals that could tarnish his reputation. His popularity probably has not been adversely affected by his marriage to Posh Spice aka Victoria Beckham in 1999. Together they have been a formidable couple, becoming some of the most sought-after ambassadors for various fashion designers and magazines. Companies in the fitness and health, cosmetics and perfume industries are also lining up to cash in on the Beckham family's popularity.
Even during his active career, he was a popular advertising columnist. As early as 1997, he signed an advertising deal with Brylcreem that earned the then 22-year-old the staggering sum of four million pounds. That was equivalent to almost 45 million Danish kroner.
Not bad for a young footballer born in north-east London in the spring of 1975. The parents - kitchen fitter David Edward Beckham and hairdresser Sandra West - could hardly have imagined the popularity and wealth their son would achieve.
But they - and perhaps his mother in particular - have played a vital role in his career path. First and foremost, his parents were fanatical Manchester United fans, often travelling the 200 miles from Leytonstone in north-east London to Old Trafford to watch matches. It sowed the same love for the northern English club in David Beckham.
Metrosexual fashion icon
Perhaps his mother's job as a hairdresser has given him the desire to always go the extra mile. After all, while he was still playing football, he was seen by many as the best dressed footballer. And in 2002 he was even proclaimed the ultimate metrosexual by the man who coined the term, British journalist Mark Simpson. He defined the term as "a single man on a high income, living and working in the big city. Rightly so because that's where all the best business is. In essence, a man who takes particular care of his grooming and appearance and typically spends a considerable amount of time and money shopping to maintain this image.”
Nor is there anything casual about Beckham's public appearance. It's thought out down to the smallest detail, whether he's dressing in a wool coat, suit and flat cap like in Peaky Blinders, a tuxedo and bow tie or a knitted wool jumper, corduroys and suede shoes. Vanity or not, at 46 he is now looking very good indeed. And extremely wealthy. Together with his wife, they are worth almost seven billion kr.
Scored quarter of a billion
The fact that the Beckham couple's fortune has grown to an astronomical level is due in no small part to a particularly lucrative pension scheme. Perhaps it is stretching it a little to call David Beckham's last professional contract a pension scheme. But many professional footballers have ended their careers in the United States, where soccer - as it is known in the latitudes - is becoming increasingly popular. It was also Beckham's exit strategy as emerging talent in Europe began to bite him in the ass.
In 2007, he packed up the family belongings and moved to Los Angeles, where he signed with the LA Galaxy. A contract that guaranteed him a transfer fee of no less than 250 million dollars - and an annual salary of 6.5 million dollars. In addition, he received a share of the club's merchandise sales, such as club jerseys. It is estimated that during his five years in Major League Soccer, he earned more than 255 million.
Playfully, David Beckham helped raise the standard in the American league. And as a global style icon, his time in Los Angeles also meant the club profited from his efforts. So much so, in fact, that in 2019 LA Galaxy erected a statue of Beckham in front of the club's stadium in the South End near Long Beach.
David Beckham – Style Guide: Wear it like Beckham
We've gone through our range and matched it to some of David Beckham's iconic looks
Classic elegance
Wimbledon 2015. Centre Court. It was the day the semi-final between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova was played - and of course David Beckham turns up in a classic and super elegant slim-fit navy-blue suit, which he has spruced up with a purple handkerchief and gold tie pin.
Few men wear the classic slim-fit suit as well as David Beckham. We've matched his stylish outfit with a navy blue suit from HUGO. Also slim fit. A choice that never goes out of style.
The immortal blazer
As an avid tennis fan, showing up for Wimbledon matches requires a nice wardrobe. Here in 2014 for the match between Rafael Nadal and Mikhail Kukushkin. And even though it was just a third-round match, you can still make a bit of an effort with your attire. Here, in the form of a stylish bright blazer with checks. The tie with green stripes elevates an otherwise relatively casual outfit into something worthy of an English gentleman.
Our suggestion of a blazer from Sand and jeans from Replay will also help you look your best.
Streetwear a la Beckham
Even if you're going to a fashion fair, you can still dress smart and casual. It's always a bit daring to put together a whole outfit within the same colour group. But when - as here - you succeed, it looks great.
We've come up with a khaki set with a great overshirt from NN07 to replace Beckham's bomber jacket. A great outfit for warm spring and summer days.
The Casual Way
David Beckham launched his own fashion brand in 2018 under the name House 99. The following year, he went on a promotional trip to Paris, where he was photographed in an outfit that was a little more casual than the elegant suits he is usually spotted in at official events.
And if it's the casual look you're after, well, you'll get off to a good start by looking at clothes from C.P. Company. We've put together a great set with cargo pants and a stylish overshirt.
Neoclassical everyday dress
White T-shirt, worn jeans and a pair of raw boots. It remains an iconic outfit - which David Beckham, of course, also manages to wear. Here, it's the great quality that counts. Otherwise, it can easily look a little too ordinary to be cool. Here we've chosen an ETON T-shirt, which like their shirts is top quality.
