Oh my gosh, you guys, I just saw the cutest picture ever! David Beckham posted this throwback of him and his dad, Ted, for his birthday, and seriously, young David is identical to Cruz now! It’s insane! He wrote the sweetest, most heartfelt message about his dad, and I’m not gonna lie, I almost cried. It’s just… perfect. I’m obsessed with the Beckhams, and this just proves they’re the cutest family ever!
The 51-year-old footballer honored Ted on his 78th birthday, wishing him a wonderful day.
David shared a collection of photos with his father, including a childhood picture where people noticed a striking similarity between young David and his youngest son.
He wrote with the photo: ‘Happy birthday, Dad! I love you so much. Hope you have an amazing day – you deserve it! ❤️ xo @davidbeckham’
This weekend, Cruz attended the World Cup Final in New York with his father and other family members. Meanwhile, his brother Brooklyn—who is currently not on good terms with their parents—watched the game at home.
David and Ted are now very close, but they went through a five-year period where they didn’t speak to each other – similar to what happened with Brooklyn.
A serious health issue for Ted in 2007 led the two of them to reconnect and repair their relationship, and they’ve remained close friends ever since.
David shared that it took more than twenty years for his father to express pride in his accomplishments as a football player.
In a 2024 interview on James Corden’s podcast, This Life of Mine, David revealed that his strong work ethic stemmed from wanting to impress his father, Ted. He explained that he only felt his father’s full approval – a ‘you’ve made it’ moment – after earning 100 international appearances.
I never truly felt like my dad thought I’d succeeded until I reached my 100th international appearance. That’s when he finally told me, ‘You’ve made it, son.’
Despite winning six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four Community Shields, and a Champions League title, he felt he never received as much recognition at any other time in his career.
David’s parents separated in 2002 after being married for 33 years, and their divorce took a long time due to disagreements about money.
After the divorce, David and his father grew distant and weren’t often seen together. It was obvious David supported his mother, frequently appearing alongside her at family events and work-related appearances.
It was tough watching Ted get excluded. It really seemed like David couldn’t get past Ted publishing that book about his son – even though it was about his son’s England captaincy, David was clearly upset that Ted hadn’t asked permission first. It just felt like a really personal issue that was overshadowing everything.
Ted was known for being a strict and critical father to David, constantly scolding him for even small errors during football practice and games. This demanding approach carried over into his marriage as well.
David admitted as they were growing up, he never saw his father be tender to his mum.
In his 2001 autobiography, he described his father as someone who loved his mother but didn’t show it openly. He noted that his father was often reserved and sometimes made sarcastic remarks, especially when his sisters and he were around.
I have to admit, he’s a pretty quick study when it comes to getting passionate, but honestly, it reminds me a little too much of my own biggest flaw – my temper. It’s something I really dislike about myself, and I’ve always suspected I inherited it from my father.
Their connection became strained when the ex-England captain joined Real Madrid in 2003, and Ted worried that the distance would cause them to grow apart permanently.
He admitted he wasn’t sure if he could fix things with the other person, adding that everyone would prefer to avoid a repeat of past problems.
‘It shouldn’t take a tragedy or a hospital dash to force a family to make peace.’
Things got even worse in 2005 when Ted published an unauthorized biography of David Beckham, titled ‘My Son,’ which further strained their relationship.
The tension between Ted and David worsened when Ted declined David’s invitation to see him play in the 2006 World Cup.
Things between them finally started to get better in 2007 when Ted had a serious heart attack at 58. Paramedics worked for three hours to save him, and he was briefly declared dead in the ambulance before emergency surgery successfully cleared a blocked artery.
David immediately flew back home after joining LA Galaxy to be with his father, and the emotional reunion helped them resolve a long-standing disagreement.
David showed his father a great deal of generosity, paying off his mortgage and gifting him a Jaguar. By 2021, their relationship had clearly improved, and David was honored to be best man at his father’s wedding to Hilary. Last year, he happily celebrated his son’s birthday, demonstrating a strong family connection.
2026-07-24 13:35