David Beckham has spent weeks celebrating his 50th birthday, including a lavish celebration in Florida, a luxury trip to France, a blowout bash in the Cotswolds and a Michelin star dinner in London.
Once famed (mainly) for his performances on the pitch, Beckham is now a household name for numerous reasons. From captaining the Three Lions, being the biggest cheerleader of his fashion icon wife, and his business successes, here’s a look at his life and his seemingly never-ending 50th birthday.
Read also: What is really going on with the Posh and Becks brood?
David Beckham’s 50th birthday celebrations
The Florida soirée
Beckham’s birthday celebrations kicked off last month with a black-tie soirée in Florida. Football stars Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets and American footballer Tom Brady all scrubbed up to kick off birthday celebrations a little early.
The Cotswolds bash
On April 30, Beckham welcomed in his birthday with a family bash at his £10m Cotswolds home.
David Beckham wore a black tuxedo and his wife, Victoria Beckham, wore a long navy silk dress that she designed herself.
Her younger sister, Louise Adams, was also at the party, wearing a £990 draped black dress designed by Victoria, according to the Daily Mail.
Adams shared a photo on Instagram of her with three of her four children: Liberty, Tallulah and Finlay.
Finlay also shared snaps of the glam party on social media, sharing a video of himself climbing out of the pond in a soaking wet tuxedo.
David and Victoria’s youngest son, Cruz, 20, attended the event with his girlfriend, the singer Jackie Apostel, wearing coordinated outfits. Apostel wore a shiny red satin gown and Beckham wore a suit with a bow tie and bright red braces.
Jackie Apostel, 29, also shared photos of the occasion on social media.
David and Victoria's other children: Romeo, 22, and Harper, 13, also attended the event, but haven’t shared photos of it on social media.
However, the Daily Mail reported that Brooklyn, the couple’s oldest child, 25, and his wife, Nicola Peltz, 30, did not attend.
Tensions reportedly escalated after Brooklyn and Romeo stopped speaking, following Romeo's relationship with Kim—who previously dated Brooklyn's friend Rocco Ritchie.
Brooklyn is said to be suspicious of Kim’s reasons for dating Romeo, sparking the alleged fallout that led to Brooklyn and Nicola skipping his father's milestone celebrations.
Celebrity news website TMZ reports that Romeo and Nicola now refuse to attend any family event where Kim is present.
In Brooklyn’s absence, Romeo gave a speech and carried candlelit cupcakes to the table.
French luxury
On May 2 — Beckham’s actual birthday — the family reportedly took a £40 million private jet to Bordeaux, where they spent an afternoon wine-tasting at a vineyard.
David, Victoria, Romeo, Cruz, Harper and the brothers’ girlfriends were in attendance.
Afterwards, they set off to David’s favourite restaurant in Paris, L’Ami Louis, then spent the night at La Reserve, a five-star hotel. They jetted home in the morning.
Michelin star dinner
On Saturday night, the celebrations continued at the Notting Hill restaurant Core, which has three Michelin stars.
“OK OK I promise this was the last party 😂,” David Beckham posted on Instagram.
The opulent eatery was launched in 2017 by Northern Irish chef by Clare Smyth, who catered for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2018 wedding. A seven-course menu starts at an eye-watering £420 per person.
For Beckham’s birthday dinner, Smyth put together an elegant menu, including the likes of scallop tartare with sea vegetables served in a shell.
The Sun reported that vegan Bavarian lager Noam Beer and cans of Dash Water were on offer.
The dinner was frequented by celebrities including Eva Longoria (one of Victoria’s best friends), the Ramsays and Tom Cruise (alongside his rumoured girlfriend Ana Del Armas).
Gordon Ramsay wore a white tuxedo and his wife, Tana Ramsay, wore a long pale blue dress.
Eva Longoria also opted for a floor-length blue dress. “Soooo much fun! We should do this every year!!!,” Longoria commented on photos Victoria Beckham shared of the party on Instagram.
Romeo, Cruz and Harper were all in attendance, but Brooklyn was nowhere in sight.
Romeo’s partner Kim wore a black satin dress with pointed heels and a clutch bag. Jackie, Cruz’s girlfriend, wore a long lilac satin dress with jewelled heels.
After dinner, Cruz sang Stream by Dolly Parton to his parents, The Sun reported.
A source told The Sun: “Everyone had an amazing time.
“Naturally David and Victoria were upset Brooklyn wasn’t there with them but made sure it was an occasion to remember.”
The lavish evening spilled into debauchery, with noise complaints in the early hours of Sunday morning, causing two council officers to visit the house at 3.35am, The Sun reported.
“David's party really went off and the longer time went on, the louder the music seemed to get,” a source told The Sun.
What does David Beckham do now?
His career in football is nothing short of a major achievement. His Manchester United team won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, and the Uefa Champions League in 1999. In international football, Beckham made 115 appearances, representing his country at three Fifa World Cups.
Although his football-playing days are behind him, David Beckham is still in love with the “beautiful game”. He is the co-owner and president of Inter Miami CF and the co-owner of Salford City.
He previously founded the David Beckham Academy in London and Los Angeles, though both football schools closed in late 2009.
Beckham has been a Unicef goodwill ambassador for almost two decades, having also launched the 7 Fund with the charity to give disadvantaged and vulnerable children better opportunities. He has also campaigned for Malaria No More.
He has promoted British fashion as the ambassadorial president of the British Fashion Council.
Beckham was also a partner in the whisky brand Haig Club, having been the face of the single grain scotch for several years.
He launched a wellness supplement venture, named I.M.8. The offering is a supplement powder with 92 nutrient-rich ingredients in an acai and berry-flavoured drink, a daily supplement and the Beckham stack, which is a combination of both products.
A family man
Charity, football and business aside, Beckham wears many hats. He is a father to four children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper, and husband to his equally famed wife, Victoria Beckham.
In recent years, he has been Victoria’s biggest cheerleader, supporting her at every fashion show.
However, rumours have recently circulated about a potential Beckham family feud.
Dad David spends a great deal of time at the family’s Cotswolds home gardening and cooking. In his 2023 Netflix documentary Beckham, he let fans into his life as a father and husband.
David Beckham can be proud of his 50 years; a footballing icon who became so much more. Here’s to you on your big 50.
