After a 21-year career full of accolades, trophies, and memorable moments, David Beckham has finally received the much-coveted accolade he has been missing: the title of knight.

King Charles III honoured the 50-year-old English football legend on Tuesday morning (4/11) for his contribution to sport and charity at a ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Wearing a suit specially designed for the occasion by his wife, Victoria Beckham, the former England captain was welcomed by King Charles, who presented him with the award, sealing his career as one of the most important footballers of his generation. Beckham was accompanied by his parents, Ted and Sandra, and his wife, who chose a black fitted dress designed exclusively by her own fashion house.

The career of the English football legend

His path began humbly, in the backyard of his Leytonstone home, where young David practised his fouls relentlessly under the watchful eye of his father. In 1993, he signed with Manchester United as a teenager, paving the way for a career marked by success both on and off the pitch.

Beckham remains to this day the only British footballer to have won championships in four different countries. With United, he won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and was part of the historic treble in 1999 when Sir Alex Ferguson’s side beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

In 2003, he moved to Real Madrid, alongside stars such as Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane. Although he went through a title-less period, he finally won La Liga in 2007, shortly before leaving for the United States, where he boosted his football through his involvement with Los Angeles Galaxy, winning ten trophies.

In 2013, he finished his career with Paris Saint-Germain, lifting the Ligue 1 championship. He played 115 times with the England national team, 58 of which were as captain, since his debut in 1996 against Moldova. Despite the successes, he failed to celebrate any international trophies, although he did play in five consecutive tournaments, including three World Cups.

His memorable moment came in 2001, when a last-minute foul against Greece secured England’s qualification for the 2002 World Cup.

Off the pitch, his marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girls singer Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented the couple as one of the world’s most recognisable. Ahead of the ceremony, the Daily Mail revealed that Victoria designed the three-piece suit worn by her husband herself, a project that began in June when the couple were informed of the impending honor.

Alongside his football career, Beckham has supported multiple charitable initiatives, serving as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2005. In 2024, he was appointed ambassador for the King’s Foundation, an educational organization founded in 1990 by Charles himself.

“I have always been a great supporter of the royal family; I grew up in a household that loved them deeply,” he told Town & Country magazine in January. “When the King asked me to join his foundation, I felt very honoured and proud – I called my mother immediately.”