David Beckham rose to prominence as a legendary soccer player for Manchester United in the 1990s. But after years of being in the public eye, the former soccer star has also become notorious for his constantly changing hair styles and his abundance of tattoos.
Beckham has nearly blanketed his body in ink—even tattooing the side of his head. In 2018 Beckham’s tattoo artist, Mark Mahoney told Insider that Beckham was the ideal client because "He picks good stuff, he's got great skin he feels absolutely no pain." Although Beckham has amassed more than 60 tattoos over the years, every one of them has a specific meaning. Many of the tattoos represent his fierce commitment to his wife and family while others display his favorite works of art or personally meaningful religious iconography. Keep scrolling to see some of Beckham’s most interesting tattoos and the meanings behind them.
9 Guardian Angel
The famous guardian angel tattoo on Beckham's upper back was the athlete’s second time under the needle. When his first child, Brooklyn, was born in 1999, Beckham had his son’s name tattooed on his lower back—his first tattoo. The guardian angel was designed one year later to watch over Brooklyn. Each of Beckham’s sons’ names has since been added to the tattoo, under the angel’s protection.
8 Jesus And Three Cherubs
This tattoo perfectly encapsulates the two major themes among Beckham’s tattoos, religion and family. The design depicts Jesus being lifted by three cherubs. According to Daily Mail, the cherubs represent Beckham’s three sons—Brooklyn, 23, Romeo, 19, and Cruz, 17—and how they will eventually have to look after their dad.
7 Angel
In 2004 Beckham had an angel tattooed on his right upper arm below the words, “In the face of adversity.” According to Goal, the tattoo came one month after his former assistant, Rebecca Loos, publicly claimed that she and Beckham had an affair together. The eye-catching design and phrase are thought to reference the turmoil that followed Loss’s claim.
6 “The Man of Sorrows”
Another piece of religious imagery, Beckham’s tattoo is a recreation of a Matthew R. Brooks painting titled "The Man of Sorrows.” The title refers to a verse from Isaiah (53:3) in the Old Testament, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Beckham got the tattoo in the honor of his grandfather, Joe West who passed away in 2012.
5 Chinese Characters
Beckham has the Chinese characters "生死有命，富贵在天" (sheng si you ming, fu gui you tian) written down his torso. The tattoo is prominent in Beckham’s shirtless photos and has left people puzzling over its meaning. The writing is reportedly a Chinese proverb sourced from Confucius’ The Analects. While the exact translation is unclear, the line is thought to roughly mean, "Life and death are destined by fate, wealth and status are destined by heaven."
4 Stick Figure
In October of 2015 Beckham posted a picture of his newest tattoo on Instagram with the caption, “Harper is allowed to scribble on daddy.” On theme with his numerous family-oriented tattoos, the stick figure drawing is an everlasting tribute to his daughter, now 10 years old. He also revealed a tattoo reading, “We love you daddy,” which Beckham explained was a message from his sons.
3 Roses
When Harper was born in 2011 Beckham had the words “Pretty Lady” and “Harper” tattooed on his neck. In 2015, the star had a rose added to his neck tattoo, seemingly deciding that the previous design did not adequately express his admiration for his only daughter. He has since added four other roses, possibly to represent his wife and three sons.
2 Cupid and Psyche
Beckham has multiple recreations of famous artworks inked on his body. The tattoo on his left upper arm is of a painting by 15th century artist Francesco Francia, depicting the mythological tale of Cupid and Pysche. The tattoo shows Cupid bringing his wife to heaven and is thought to represent Beckham's commitment to wife, Victoria, 48. However, Beckham’s more conservative version of the painting has a piece of fabric covering Pysche’s naked body.
1 Victoria
Many of Beckham’s tattoos represent his love for his wife— his hummingbird, his tattoo of a lady in a forest and the number 99 on his hand. But in 2007 Beckham dropped the ambiguity and had his wife’s full body tattooed on his left forearm. The tribute shows Posh Spice in lingerie and is near a tattoo that says “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” in Hebrew, which Victoria has as well.
