David Beckham honoured with Walk of Fame star as LA hosts World Cup games

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Science For All The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers THEdge At the cutting edge of education and careers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there Gender Agenda Stories from beyond the binary. The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. Published - June 13, 2026 05:25 pm IST - Los Angeles English former footballer David Beckham poses at his newly unveiled Hollywood Walk of Fame star during a ceremony in Hollywood, California, on June 12, 2026. | Photo Credit: AFP Sir David Beckham, the first English player to win league titles in four countries, was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday (June 12, 2026), the day the U.S.-hosted portion of the 2026 World Cup kicked off with eight matches set for Los Angeles. Rather than a traditional Hollywood red carpet, the ceremony featured a green soccer-themed pitch carpet to commemorate the occasion. Radio host Ellen K. introduced speakers, including Tom Cruise and Mr. Beckham’s wife, Victoria Beckham. Mr. Cruise praised Mr. Beckham’s journey, saying it was “a Hollywood story” of hard work, determination and global influence on sport and culture. Ms. Victoria Beckham said the honour felt timely ahead of the World Cup in Los Angeles. She noted that soccer in the U.S. is entering “one of the most exciting chapters in its history.” Taking the podium, Mr. Beckham called the moment “surreal.” He reflected on growing up in East London with dreams of playing soccer, never imagining recognition in Hollywood. He spoke about the scepticism he faced after joining Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy in 2007, as many fans questioned why the U.S. was so late to embrace the globally popular sport. Mr. Beckham, who is now president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF, said he was proud of the sport’s growing popularity in the U.S. He also had a special message for his children. “I’m going to get emotional now. Kids, I hope you bring my grandchildren here one day and tell them about a boy who dreams big to make you all proud is my greatest achievement,” he said. Over a 20-year career, Mr. Beckham played for some of the world’s most prominent teams, including Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, LA Galaxy and Paris Saint-Germain. Primarily a right midfielder, he was renowned for his precise passing and crossing ability and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Mr. Beckham’s influence extended into pop culture with projects such as Netflix’s docuseries “Beckham,” chronicling his soccer journey, and “Victoria Beckham,” focusing on his wife’s evolution from Spice Girl to fashion mogul. The film “Bend It Like Beckham” was also inspired by his legacy. Since retiring as a player in 2013, Mr. Beckham has remained a global figure through partnerships with major brands including Adidas, Bank of America, Hugo Boss, Stella Artois and Sands. Copyright© 2026, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

David Beckham honoured with Walk of Fame star as LA hosts World Cup games

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David Beckham honoured with Walk of Fame star as LA hosts World Cup games

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