The former England football captain, David Beckham, is poised to be awarded a knighthood in the upcoming King Charles’ Birthday Honours list. 

He was previously appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2003, but is expected to receive further recognition for his distinguished football career and extensive contributions to British society.

Beckham’s illustrious playing career saw him earn 115 caps for England and feature prominently for clubs including Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, Paris Saint-Germain, and AC Milan before retiring in 2013. Reports indicate he was first nominated for a knighthood as early as 2011.

In 2017, several British newspapers published leaked emails in which Beckham reportedly criticised the honours system and the honours committee. A spokesperson for Beckham at the time insisted the emails were “hacked”, “doctored” and “private”.

Beyond his footballing achievements, Beckham has been deeply involved in charitable and community work. He played a key role in securing the London 2012 Olympics and has served as an ambassador for Unicef since 2005. 

To mark a decade-long partnership, Unicef launched ‘The David Beckham Unicef Fund’ in 2015 to support vulnerable children worldwide.

More recently, Beckham became an ambassador for The King’s Foundation in 2024, supporting King Charles’ education programme aimed at increasing young people’s understanding of nature.

Off the pitch, Beckham is co-owner and president of Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami in the United States and part-owner of League Two side Salford City. He also helped establish the Inter Miami CF Foundation, a community-driven not-for-profit organisation that seeks to empower underserved communities through football.

A Government spokesperson stated, “We do not comment on speculation on honours.” Representatives for Beckham declined to comment.

The official honours list is expected to be published next week, confirming the awards.

Boluwatife Enome

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