5 famous footballers who have acted in movies

1) David Beckham

David Beckham has acted in a number of movies

Arguably one of the most famous footballers of all time, it will come as no surprise to anyone that the immensely marketable David Beckham finds himself top of this list. The London-born Beckham started his career with Manchester United, part of the infamous “Fergie’s Fledgelings”, then went on to play for giants such as Real Madrid and AC Milan, and ending his career at mega-rich PSG after having had a stint at MLS outfit LA Galaxy.

Famous for his crossing and set-piece taking ability, the deliveries from his lauded right-foot have made indelible marks on the modern rendition of football. One would expect that there is an absolute litany of movies involving the mega-star, given his marketability, good-looks, fashion-icon status and camera-friendly visage. However, Beckham has appeared in just four movies – one of them containing just archival footage of the footballer.

By Beckham’s own admission, he was “too stiff” for acting as a full-time vocation despite appearing in numerous commercials. Beckham made a brief appearance in the original 2005 hit Goal, alongside Zinedine Zidane. He then went on to essay a larger role in the following two sequels: Goal! 2: Living the Dream… released in 2007 and Goal! 3: Taking on the World in 2009.

The second movie sees the protagonist Santiago Munez move to Real Madrid where he has a lot of interaction with Beckham, among other Galacticos. Archival footage from Beckham was used in the 2002 movie Bend It Like Beckham. Both Beckham and pop star wife Victoria “Posh” Beckham expressed their desire in appearing in the movie, but scheduling conflicts ultimately scuppered their chance.