David Beckham

Soccer Player

David Beckham is a leading English footballer whose popularity extends beyond the field and into international celebrity. Beckham was already a crowd-pleasing star for Manchester United when he married Spice Girls star Victoria Adams ("Posh Spice") in July of 1999; the combination of the two heartthrobs proved irresistible to the press and public, and they became one of Britain's most famous couples. As a player Beckham is particularly known for his free kick expertise and spectacular long-range shots (including a famous goal from midfield against Wimbledon in 1996). Manchester United sold Beckham to the Spanish team Real Madrid for a transfer fee of 35 million euros (about 25 million British pounds) in June of 2003. Beckham was disqualified from the 1998 World Cup for a rough foul in England's loss to Argentina, but returned to play in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. He was captain of the English national team from 2000 until 2006, when he stepped down from the role after a loss to Portugal in the World Cup quarterfinals. In 2007 he signed a multi-million dollar contract to leave Real Madrid and move to the United States and play for the L.A. Galaxy; he first suited up for his new team in a "friendly" match against Chelsea on 21 July 2007.

Extra credit: Beckham typically plays midfield... His popular nickname is "Becks"... He has three sons with Victoria Beckham: Brooklyn (b. 4 March 1999, Romeo (b. 1 September 2002) and Cruz (b. 20 February 2005)... Beckham wore uniform number 7 with Manchester United; upon joining Real Madrid he switched to number 23, with 7 already taken by his teammate Raul; he kept the jersey number with the Galaxy... Real Madrid was already home to several other superstars, including Luis Figo, Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane... The 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham (starring Keira Knightley) was a fictional tale about a soccer-loving teenager. Beckham didn't star in the movie, but the title has become synonymous with his name. The title refers to Beckham's skill at curling shots around defenders.

Other soccer stars include Michael Owen, Ronaldo, Eusebio, Pelé and Mia Hamm.