David Beckham has emerged as a cultural centerpiece for the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The former England superstar is one of the few men that enjoys a household name status in the United States as well as the footballing world.
However, some of his recent actions have not gone down well with the latter sect.
Beckham was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the day the tournament began.
A couple days later, he was spotted watching USA’s curtain raiser against Paraguay in Los Angeles along side Tom Cruise to drive home the size of his celebrity.
Beckham was then present at the Foxborough Stadium in Boston on June 23 to see his country England take on Ghana.
The sheer popularity that Beckham enjoys across borders became clear as the arena echoed with easily the loudest cheer of the evening when he was featured on the big screen.
The 51-year-old is also part of two major commercial tie-ups running through the event.
While he is one of many including Lamine Yamal and Thierry Henry available as collectibles in a McDonald campaign, Beckham is also featuring in beer brand Stella Artois advertisements alongside Matt Damon.
It all seemed to be going well for Beckham as his star continued to elevate both in North America and abroad.
But all it takes is a single misstep to ruin reputations. For Beckham, that moment occurred in his beloved city of Miami of all places.
Beckham was present on the balcony for Brazil’s final group stage game against Scotland at Miami Gardens on Wednesday.
The legend , as always, was looking sharp and trim. He was draped in a dark tan suit with a matching tee shirt underneath, complete with a large gold coloured watch on his wrist.
The get-up seemed to be a nod to Brazil as Vinicius Junior ran amok to score a brace in the Selecao’s 3-0 win. The victory secured their qualification to the Round of 32 as group winners.
All that was typical. It was the apparatus in Beckham’s hand, instead, that took all the limelight.
As early as the third minute of the game, Beckham was seen holding a huge wine glass filled with red.
There were several things wrong with the stunt.
Drinking culture around football in Europe seems to be strictly built around beer, given its status as a drink of the working classes.
Red wine, on the contrary, is much more expensive and distinctly seen as a choice for the elites.
Thus, while wine itself seemed an improper choice of beverage for the occasion for the Salford-born and bred, the sheer amount of it only made fans more aggravated.
'Scottish fans are stressed out their nut again. Show David Beckham with the largest glass of red wine anyone's ever seen.' pic.twitter.com/E173gkddm0
— Ross Sayers (@Sayers33) June 24, 2026
“The size of that wine glass Beckham has just had was absolutely nuts. Looked like a comedy prop,” a user fittingly pointed out on X.
“Beckham with a wine glass big enough to make Sir Alex proud,” another echoed the sentiment.
It was a shocking performance
— Francis Keogh (@HonestFrank) June 25, 2026
Totally against what the fans want to see, painful to watch and obviously leaky at the back
But that’s enough about David Beckham drinking wine… what did you think of the match? #SCOBRA #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/ei7S9vbbkN
While such comments did well at poking fun, the ones that referenced Beckham’s elitism hit the hardest.
“One of the clearest examples of football being taken away from the working class and handed over to the wealthy,” an X post read.
I don't care if you are Sir David Beckham, you do NOT drink red wine at a WORLD CUP when you're in MIAMI pic.twitter.com/H1Em3Hliq2
— Roberto Rojas 🇵🇾🇺🇸 (@RobertoRojas97) June 24, 2026
“David Beckham drinking wine at a game of football is exactly why this competition should never be held in North America ever again,” followed another.
This isn’t the first time Beckham, the son of son of a hairdresser and a kitchen fitter, has come under scrutiny for his lavish lifestyle.
Ever since he started dating Victoria ‘Posh Spice’ Beckham in 1997, the Londoner has constantly been questioned for his affinity for a luxurious way of living.
However, Beckham has extensively tried to rubbish such conceptions since retirement by pulling off some elaborate antics.
In 2022, Beckham went viral for waiting 13 hours in a queue to pay his respects to the recently passed-away Queen Elizabeth II.
The former footballer had an option to skip the line as many celebrities did by using his VIP status but chose against it.
“If my grandparents would have been here today I know that they would have wanted to be here, so I am here on their behalf and on behalf of my family,” he ventured as an explanation.
The same year, Beckham had released a documentary in conjunction with Disney+ titled “Save the Squad”. It captured the superstar returning to East London to explore his connection with grassroots football.
“I’m from a working-class family. I’ve always wanted to give back to football… this league is where it all began for me,” he said in one of the episodes.
Similarly, a viral moment from his four-part Netflix biopic series released in 2023 saw him mocking his wife’s lavish upbringing.
When Victoria tried to claim her family was ‘working-class’, Beckham repeatedly crashed the interview until she admitted she used to be driven to school in a Rolls-Royce.
Beckham’s latest antics have called the authenticity of such moments into question, furthering a narrative that has followed him for well over two decades now.
