Although David Beckham’s net worth doesn’t make him the richest person in the world, he’s still one of the highest-paid sports personalities, alongside fellow footballer Christiano Ronaldo and former basketball player Michael Jordan.
The former Manchester United legend and his wife – fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham – have a combined net worth of £455 million, according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2024.
Beckham’s 20-year football career came to an end in 2013, but that doesn’t mean his time on the pitch has truly ended. He’s now the co-owner and president of American soccer club Inter Miami CF, which boasts eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi as its captain.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
On top of that, he’s successfully turned himself into a brand, be it through his endorsements with Adidas and Maserati, or when being crowned “Underwear Model of the Century” by Tommy Hilfiger. There seems to be nothing the former England captain can’t do.
We explore David Beckham’s net worth, how he makes his millions and whether he’s in the running to be England’s next manager after Gareth Southgate’s departure.
David Beckham’s net worth as a footballer
David Beckham shot to fame in 1996 when the Manchester United midfielder scored a goal against Wimbledon from the halfway line. His skills made headlines and inspired a movie (2002’s Bend It Like Beckham).
Over the next few years, he became highly sought-after on and off the pitch, with sponsorships and endorsements bringing in as much as his footballing salary. It is widely claimed that during his time at Manchester United, he was paid around £1.5million (excluding bonuses) per season – six times what the average Premier League player earned.
By 1999, he was the second-highest-paid footballer in the world, according to The Guardian. The footballer’s career at Manchester United spanned more than two decades, starting when he joined the club as a youth trainee alongside Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes – popularly known as the Class of '92. He won six Premier League titles and lifted two FA Cups. In 2000, Beckham took over as the captain of the England team, a position he held for six years.
In 2003, Manchester United accepted a £25 million bid for Beckham from Real Madrid, where he went on to play for four years alongside other renowned footballers, including Zidane, Ronaldo and Figo, in a squad that became known as the “Galácticos”.
David Beckham becomes a brand
Beckham leveraged his fame and popularity to explore money-making avenues that extended far beyond the sporting arena.
In the 2023 Netflix documentary Beckham (produced by his creative agency Studio 99), he explains how he was one of the first footballers to make global brand and image-rights deals. However, his Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, was famously unhappy with this approach. As “Brand Beckham”, his relationship with Victoria was parlayed into an especially lucrative commercial partnership.
Being an Adidas loyalist from the start of his career, it’s no wonder that Beckham landed a lifetime brand deal with the brand in 2003 worth $160.8 million – one of the biggest sports sponsorship deals at that time.
His other big brand endorsements included Calvin Klein, PepsiCo, Armani, Maserati and Samsung. In 2006, his legs were insured by Lloyd’s of London for a whopping £100 million.
Beckham also had a crucial role to play in the UK’s bid to host the 2012 London Olympics, although he was then not picked to play in that year’s football squad. He did get to carry the Olympic flame along the River Thames via speedboat to the opening ceremony, though.
The retired footballer
In 2013, Beckham hung up his boots. Within his first year of retiring, he reportedly made $75 million, more than he’d made during his entire footballing career.
He now has multiple income streams, including property investments in Miami, London and the Cotswolds, to his football investments – he purchased Inter Miami CF for $25 million in 2007.
He also owns a stake in Authentic Brands, the parent company of brands such as Reebok, Nautica, Juicy Couture, Nine West and Hunter, as well as the magazine Sports Illustrated. Authentic Brands also owns the rights to the estates of celebrities such as Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali.
Beckham signed a £150 million 10-year deal with Qatar to be the country’s ambassador, as well as the face of the 2022 World Cup. It’s one of his biggest but most controversial deals to date, mainly due to the country’s human rights record.
Beckham is a founding member of Malaria No More UK. He also set up an appeal with Victoria to support Ukrainians through his 7 Fund. The footballer supports Help for Heroes too, and is a UNICEF Ambassador for his work on children's rights.
Could David Beckham replace Gareth Southgate as England manager?
It seems unlikely. Gareth Southgate resigned from his position as England’s manager on 16 July – a couple of days after England lost to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
Beckham could be in with a chance if he wanted it. If we look at Southgate’s background – he played for his country between 1995 and 2004 and then became England’s manager in 2016. He had a successful run while managing England, taking the squad to two Euro finals, the quarter-finals at the 2022 World Cup and securing fourth place at the 2018 World Cup.
Beckham has captained England and is regarded as one of the country’s greatest players. And not to forget the experience he has gained at Inter Miami CF.
Beckham has expressed in the past that he would consider managing England. In an interview with GQ in 2019, he said: “I mean, of course I would think about it, because I’m a passionate Englishman and I’m passionate about our national side, but would I be any good at it? Who knows? It’s a dream job.”
-
What is the 25% pension tax-free cash - and when should you take it?The 25% tax-free cash that savers can take from their pension pots got plenty of airtime in the run-up to the Autumn Budget, with speculation that it could be cut or axed. But, what is it and how does it work?
-
Pension warning: one in five don’t know how much is going into their pensionHow to check your pension contributions and why it matters
