Why David Beckham remains one of football’s most underrated greats

November 30, 2025 Oliver Obel

Before modern footballers became global marketing forces, David Beckham had already shown how a player’s image could extend far beyond the pitch.

GOAL’s retrospective places his rise in the late 1990s and early 2000s at the center of football’s cultural shift, comparing his commercial impact to the transformation Michael Jordan brought to basketball.

Other outlets documented this evolution as well. BBC Sport noted that Beckham’s sponsorship reach and mainstream visibility were unprecedented for an English footballer at the time.

The Guardian described him as one of the most recognisable figures in the sport at the turn of the millennium. Such visibility helped shape the environment that later megastars, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar, would eventually step into.

GOAL also stresses that the focus on Beckham’s global celebrity often overshadowed the footballing talent that made that image possible.

Sport seets style

His footballing career and cultural presence often moved in parallel. GOAL recalls how Beckham’s hairstyles, his adidas Predators and his Manchester United No.7 shirt all became part of a global trend among young fans. ESPN described him as a style reference point for an entire generation.

His free kick technique and distinctive body shape on set pieces became instantly recognisable, eventually inspiring the title of the film Bend It Like Beckham. Even with countless imitators, GOAL notes that very few players have matched the accuracy he produced from the right side of midfield.

Behind the spotlight

According to GOAL, media attention often overshadowed Beckham’s on-field contribution, especially when coverage of his relationship with Victoria Adams dominated tabloid headlines. The Guardian reported that his celebrity sometimes eclipsed his consistency and tactical reliability for Manchester United.

Beckham was not a typical winger relying on dribbling flair. Instead, he played more like a wide playmaker with a focus on timing, vision and technical execution.

Two moments stand out in his early legacy. One is the stoppage-time free kick against Greece in 2001 that secured England’s place at the World Cup.

The other is his long-range strike from midfield against Wimbledon in 1996. BBC Sport has repeatedly ranked the Greece goal among the most iconic set pieces in England’s modern era.

Leadership reconsidered

GOAL also revisits Beckham’s development with the England national team. He went from widespread criticism after his red card in the 1998 World Cup to captaining the national side 58 times. His professionalism earned respect from coaches across several clubs.

Both GOAL and AP News highlighted Fabio Capello’s decision to restore Beckham to Real Madrid’s lineup in 2007, despite internal pressure not to play him after he agreed to join LA Galaxy.

Madrid went on to win the league title that season. Capello later credited Beckham’s attitude and commitment in training as one of the reasons for the team’s turnaround.

Beckham carried the same adaptability into MLS with LA Galaxy and through later spells at AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain. ESPN FC described him as a model professional whose work habits contrasted with the celebrity image built around him.

A missed crown

GOAL revisits the debate surrounding the 1999 Ballon d’Or. Rivaldo won that year, but GOAL argues that Beckham had a strong case based on his role in Manchester United’s treble-winning season.

His response to public hostility after the 1998 World Cup, including constant booing and criticism, was to produce one of the best seasons of his career.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer summed up his mentality by saying, “The more he was targeted, the better he played.” GOAL and BBC Sport have both cited the quote in their coverage.

Twelve years after his retirement, the reassessment presented by GOAL and supported by analysis from The Guardian, BBC and ESPN reads more like a correction than nostalgia. Beckham was not only a global icon but a defining footballer of his era, and his influence continues to shape the modern game.

Sources: GOAL, BBC Sport, The Guardian, ESPN, AP News