David Beckham shot to fame in the 1990s playing football for Manchester United and England and boosted the game’s profile in the USA playing for LA Galaxy. Off the pitch he was at the centre of Cool Britiannia-era glamour, marrying Posh Spice pop star-turned-fashion designer Victoria.
He’s a global brand, and he has used that fame and influence, among other things, as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations children’s fund, UNICEF, where his 7 Fund - named after the number he wore on the pitch - works in schools around the world to combat bullying, violence, child marriage and missed education.
Beckham, who turns 50 this year, was at the Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos to receive a Crystal Award, which the Forum bestows on people in arts and entertainment who have gone beyond the day job to help improve the state of the world.
At a time when overseas development is under pressure like never before, and with a rise in online misogyny, we spoke to David Beckham about his work with UNICEF and his role as a father.
Catch up on all the action from the Annual Meeting 2025 at wef.ch/wef25 and across social media using the hashtag #WEF25.
Related podcasts:
What just happened in Davos, and how is the world different now? https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/davos-2025-what-just-happened/
Global Risks Report: the big issues facing the world at Davos 2025 https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/global-risks-report-2025/
The 90-year-old using sports to change the lives of refugees https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/refugees-unhcr-sport-claude-marshall/
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