Manchester United and England icon David Beckham once named the players he believed to be the two greatest of all time, including one former teammate. Beckham is widely regarded as one of the best players to ever represent the Three Lions, with only Wayne Rooney making more appearances for the country in an outfield position.
The 49-year-old's career saw him embark on journeys in Madrid, Milan, Paris, and Los Angeles, as well as his time in English football, and his exploits have put him in close proximity to some of the biggest stars in the business. However, the famous number seven once singled out two incredible talents for standing head and shoulders above the rest.
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When first discussing who he thought was the 'GOAT,' Beckham named former Real Madrid teammate Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman was undoubtedly one of the best players of his generation, and his fellow Galactico waxed lyrical about his talents, saying in 2018:
"To train with Zinedine Zidane for three years was a dream. For me, he is the greatest player of all time."
However, a few years later, Beckham happened to change his tune slightly, as the owner of Inter Miami then went on to say that the club's biggest signing, Lionel Messi, was the new king of football.
As per Mundo Deportivo, the former Madrid star said during a Q&A session that "Leo [Messi] is the best footballer in the world and of all time."
Many would agree with Beckham's sentiments on Messi, with the Argentine holding the record for the most Ballon d'Or's with eight, the last of which came while he was contracted to Beckham's Inter Miami, making him the first active MLS player to pick up the award, although this was largely down to his efforts with Argentina en route to winning the 2022 World Cup.
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That is not the only praise that Beckham has handed to the Barcelona icon in recent times, as he sat down with former teammate Rio Ferdinand to discuss the Argentine's dedication and how liked he is among the other Inter Miami stars.
"He doesn't make any player feel below him," the club's owner stated. "He's that player that will stay out on the training ground teaching the young kids, going to watch the academy.
"He'll be the first in the gym and the last out of the gym. I don't think you get to that level without having that in you."
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 26/03/2025.