English soccer legend David Beckham will be honored with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame as the United States awaits the FIFA World Cup, which it co-hosts with Mexico and Canada, organizers announced Tuesday.
A plaque to the 51-year-old former England captain on the famous Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles will be unveiled in a ceremony on June 12 before the tournament’s first game on American soil between the United States and Paraguay in nearby Inglewood.
“The recognition of David Beckham as a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star in the Sports Entertainment category comes at an opportune moment, as the United States prepares to host the FIFA World Cup,” said Ana Martínez of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
He said, “Beckham’s role in raising the prestige of soccer in America and his lasting impact on sports, entertainment and global culture make this honor especially meaningful.”
Beckham: from English genius to global celebrity
In a highly distinguished club playing career, Beckham enjoyed his most success at Manchester United, where he won six Premier League titles and the Champions League – as part of an unprecedented treble in 1999.
He starred for European giants Real Madrid, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain as well as American MLS side LA Galaxy and also made 115 appearances for England, whom he represented at three World Cups.
Since retiring in 2013, he has become co-owner of American team Inter Miami CF, which signed Argentine superstar Lionel Messi and won the Major League Soccer Cup championship last year.
Beckham, who was knighted by the United Kingdom’s King Charles III last year, has also ventured into the entertainment industry as co-founder of content production company Studio 99 in 2019.
Since meeting his wife Victoria, a former pop singer of the Spice Girls, in the late 1990s, Beckham has achieved global celebrity status beyond the football pitch.
The World Cup begins on June 11 when co-hosts Mexico face South Africa in Mexico City.
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Edited by: Roshni Majumdar