Former England football captain David Beckham is to be awarded a knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours, ITV News understands.
The full list is due to be released next week and Beckham, who made 115 appearances for his country, is expected to be on it.
Beckham has undertaken multiple charitable endeavours outside of football, including working with Unicef and the King’s Foundation.
He began his career at Manchester United, winning the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophies in 1999.
He then moved to Real Madrid in 2003 where his global stardom hit new heights.
He also played for LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain in a wide ranging career.
Beckham was awarded an OBE in 2003 and has long been touted as a recipient of a knighthood.
Beckham played a key role in securing the Olympic Games for London in 2012 and speculation that Beckham was in line for a knighthood grew after he announced his retirement from football in 2013.
In 2014 it was reported that Beckham was on the verge of receiving a knighthood but HM Revenue and Customs placed a red flag on his nomination due to his involvement in an alleged tax avoidance scheme.
In 2017 a series of leaked emails appeared to show Beckham criticising the honours system and honours committee.
Beckham said these emails were “hacked”, “doctored” and “private”.
Beckham is a Goodwill Ambassador for Unicef and launched the David Beckham Unicef fund in 2015.
He joined the King’s Foundation as an ambassador in 2024, working for the King’s charity to further their education programme.
If the knighthood goes through Beckham would take on the title of Sir and his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham – who herself already holds an OBE – would become Lady Beckham.
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