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  • David Beckham Fast Facts | CNN

    David Beckham Fast Facts | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Here’s a look at the life of retired professional soccer player David Beckham.

    Birth date: May 2, 1975

    Birth place: London, England

    Birth name: David Robert Joseph Beckham

    Father: David Edward “Ted” Beckham, an appliance repairman

    Mother: Sandra (West) Beckham, a hairdresser

    Marriage: Victoria (Adams) Beckham (July 4, 1999-present)

    Children: Harper, Cruz, Romeo and Brooklyn

    Retired professional soccer (European football) player.

    Married to Spice Girl Victoria (Adams) Beckham, nicknamed “Posh Spice.”

    Midfielder known for his ability to “bend” his free kicks, curving the ball around or over defenders to score. The movie title “Bend it like Beckham” is a tribute to his kicking style.

    Won league titles in four different countries while playing for Manchester United, Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy and Paris Saint-Germain.

    Played 115 times for England between 1996 and 2009.

    Leadership Council Member of Malaria No More UK.

    1991 – At age 16, leaves home to play in Manchester United’s training league.

    April 2, 1995 Premier League debut with Manchester United.

    1996 – Gains recognition when he scores a goal from the halfway line, a kick of almost 60 yards.

    September 1996 – Makes his international debut in the World Cup qualifier against Moldova. England wins 3-0.

    1998 Is named to the English national team for 1998 World Cup.

    1998 Beckham is given a red card and ejected from a second round World Cup match for kicking out at Argentina’s Diego Simeone, which contributed to England’s elimination.

    1999Leads Manchester United to a treble, winning the English Premier League, FA Cup and European Champions League trophies.

    November 15, 2000Is named captain of England’s national team.

    April 2002 – Breaks a bone in his foot but later competes in the World Cup finals in June. England ultimately loses to Brazil in the quarterfinals.

    May 2003 Breaks his hand during a 2-1 win over South Africa in Durban.

    June-July 2003 – Traded by Manchester United to Real Madrid. He signs a four-year contract with Real Madrid for $40 million.

    November 27, 2003 – Receives an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) from Queen Elizabeth II.

    January 10, 2005 Appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, with a focus on the program Sport for Development.

    August 3, 2005 – Is awarded libel damages from the tabloid, the People, that accused him of making hate calls to a former nanny.

    March 9, 2006 Settles a libel case against the British tabloid, News of the World, over a 2004 headline that read, “Posh and Becks on the Rocks.”

    January 2007 – Signs on with the Los Angeles Galaxy, an American Major League Soccer team.

    July 21, 2007 – Plays his first game with the LA Galaxy. It is initially reported he will receive an estimated $250 million over the life of his five-year contract, but later revealed that the Galaxy will pay him $32.5 million over five years.

    March 26, 2008 Appears for the 100th time in an England uniform. During the England/France game Beckham receives a standing ovation from both sides as he leaves the field during a substitution.

    January 2009 – Loaned by the LA Galaxy team to the AC Milan club. He initially agrees to a three-month stint with the Milan team but the loan is extended to six months.

    December 2009 – Is loaned to AC Milan a second time until the end of the Italian season in May.

    March 14, 2010 – Tears an Achilles tendon during an AC Milan match and is unable to play in the World Cup.

    December 1, 2012 – Plays his final game with the LA Galaxy.

    January 31, 2013 – Announces that he has signed with Paris Saint-Germain for five months and will donate the pay to a children’s charity in Paris.

    May 16, 2013 – Announces that he will retire from professional soccer at the end of his season.

    February 5, 2014 – Announces he will establish a Major League Soccer franchise in Miami.

    February 9, 2015 – Launches 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund, a collaboration with UNICEF to help kids in danger zones around the world.

    January 29, 2018 – MLS announces that Miami has been awarded the league’s 25th franchise, about four years after Beckham first announced his intention to exercise his right to buy an MLS franchise in February 2014. The Beckham franchise will be backed by Cuban-American businessmen Jorge and Jose Mas, CEO of Sprint Corporation Marcelo Claure, entertainment producer Simon Fuller and the founder of Japanese telecommunications firm SoftBank, Masayoshi Son.

    September 5, 2018 – Beckham’s Miami expansion team announces it name, Club Internacional de Futbol Miami, Inter Miami for short.

    March 1, 2020 – Inter Miami plays its debut MLS game.

    October 2, 2020 – A company co-founded by Beckham, Guild Esports, lists on the London Stock Exchange, becoming the first esports franchise to go public on the LSE.

    March 20, 2022 – Beckham hands over control of his Instagram account to a doctor in Ukraine, in a bid to highlight the work of medical professionals caring for patients amid the Russian invasion of the country.

    October 4, 2023 – Netflix’s four-part documentary series titled “Beckham” is released.

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  • Thorns owner Paulson steps away after damning abuse report

    Thorns owner Paulson steps away after damning abuse report

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    PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson has removed himself from a decision-making role with the National Women’s Soccer League club until the findings are released from an ongoing investigation into numerous scandals around the league.

    Paulson, who is also the owner of Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers, announced his decision in a statement Tuesday, one day after the release of the findings of a disturbing independent investigation into the NWSL’s abuse scandals commissioned by U.S. Soccer. A concurrent investigation is still being conducted jointly by the league and the players’ union, and Paulson plans to step away until its completion.

    Gavin Wilkinson and Mike Golub, who have both served in executive roles with Paulson’s teams, are also stepping away from the Thorns, who are headed into the NWSL playoffs. Paulson’s statement didn’t indicate whether the trio will also step away from the Timbers, and Paulson gave no indication he plans to sell his teams.

    “Yesterday’s Yates report unveiling was the darkest day I have experienced, and I know the same is true for everyone else who loves our team and our league,” Paulson said. “I know it was even harder and darker for those whose stories were shared publicly. I cannot apologize enough for our role in a gross systemic failure to protect player safety and the missteps we made in 2015. I am truly sorry.”

    In the investigation report commissioned by U.S. Soccer, Paulson is accused of enabling and supporting former Thorns coach Paul Riley after Riley was accused of harassment and sexual coercion by players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim. The investigation also found that Paulson and Wilkinson made inappropriate workplace comments to women.

    Golub is accused of making inappropriate sexual remarks in 2013 to former Thorns coach Cindy Parlow Cone, now the president of U.S. Soccer. Golub has previously faced criticism for his workplace behavior and his tolerance for others’ misbehavior.

    In her investigative report, former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates also accused Thorns management of not being forthcoming with information around Riley’s departure from the team in 2015, writing that the club “interfered with our access to relevant witnesses and raised specious legal arguments in an attempt to impede our use of relevant documents.”

    The Thorns didn’t announce why they weren’t renewing Riley’s contract that year, and Paulson subsequently vouched for Riley as he landed a job with the Western New York Flash, which subsequently became the North Carolina Courage. Riley was with the Courage until being fired in September 2021 after allegations of his misconduct were made public.

    Heather Davis, the general counsel for the Thorns, will oversee the team’s decisions in Paulson’s absence.

    “I very much appreciate your patience and believe it’s critical that the process play out with the Joint Investigation,” Paulson wrote in his announcement of his decision. “I love the Portland Thorns and women’s soccer, and am taking these steps with those interests in mind.”

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    More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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