David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE^[3] (born 2 May 1975)^[4] is an English footballer who currently plays in midfield for Milan in Serie A,^[5] on loan from Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy.^[6] He is also an established member of the England national team.

Twice runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year^[7] and in 2004 the world's highest-paid footballer,^[8] Beckham was the first British footballer to play 100 Champions League matches.^[7] He was Google's most searched of all sports topics in both 2003 and 2004.^[9] With such global recognition he has become an elite advertising brand and a top fashion icon.^[10][11] Beckham was captain of England from 15 November 2000^[12] until the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals,^[13] during which he played 58 times. Since then he has continued to represent his country and earned his much-publicised hundredth cap for England against France on 26 March 2008.^[14] He is currently England's most-capped outfield player with 115 appearances.^[15]

Beckham's career began when he signed a professional contract with Manchester United, making his first-team debut in 1992 aged 17.^[7] During his time there, United won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, and the UEFA Champions League in 1999.^[7] He left Manchester United to sign for Real Madrid in 2003, where he remained for four seasons,^[16] clinching the La Liga championship in his final season with the club.^[17]

In January 2007, it was announced that Beckham would leave Real Madrid and sign a five-year contract with Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy.^[18] Beckham's contract with Los Angeles Galaxy became effective on 1 July 2007 and gave him the highest player salary in MLS history.^[19] His playing contract with Galaxy in 2007, 2008 and 2009 was worth $6.5m per year.^[20][21][22] He debuted for the team on 21 July 2007 in a friendly versus Chelsea at The Home Depot Center,^[23] and on 15 August, he had his first start with the team, scoring his first goal in the 2007 SuperLiga semi-final.^[24] His first league start then came on 18 August in front of a record crowd at Giants Stadium.^[25]

Beckham is married to former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham (née Adams).^[26] The couple have three sons and currently reside in Beverly Hills, California.