The Telegraph
David Millward
David Beckham celebrated his 40th birthday in Marrakesh on Saturday. Facebook
LONDON – He has not kicked a ball in anger for two years, but it says something about David Beckham’s continued global appeal that a 40th birthday picture on Facebook attracted more than 950,000 likes.
(Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)
In this Thursday, March 12, 2015 file photo former soccer player David Beckham and his wife, designer Victoria Beckham pose for photographers upon arrival at the Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty Gala exhibition in London.
Beckham shares a birthday with Catherine the Great of Russia and his birthday party Saturday night would not have disappointed her taste for ostentation.
The former footballer hired the Amanjena resort outside Marrakech, Morocco, rated as one of the top 100 hotels in the world, to mark the occasion.
“A tranquil retreat, Amanjena reflects the region’s Moorish heritage in every graceful arch, stone courtyard and rose petal-strewn fountain, its sun-paled red walls and reflective pools paying homage to North Africa’s stark beauty and rich history,” the resort’s website enthuses.
Ninety guests flew in from around the world to join Beckham and his wife Victoria, the pop star turned successful fashion designer, for the Arabian-themed party which was said to have cost the couple pounds 250,000 ($460,000).
But given the Beckhams’ wealth, this represents little more than small change.
FADEL SENNA/AFP/Getty Images
Former England footballer David Beckham rides a camel with his children in the vicinity of the luxury Amanjena Resort on May 2, 2015 outside Marrakesh, Morocco. FADEL SENNA/AFP/Getty Images
Those in attendance included James Corden, Elizabeth Hurley, Tom Cruise, Eva Longoria and Gordon Ramsay. While the couple’s four children, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper were in Marrakech, they were understood not to be attending what was described as an adult occasion.
The lavish party was a reflection of the status that Leytonstone-born Beckham has achieved since the end of a distinguished playing career which, along with lengthy stints at Manchester United and Real Madrid, included spells at AC Milan, Paris St Germain and LA Galaxy, where he is credited with having done much to turn football from a fringe into a mainstream sport in the U.S.
Even during his playing career, a change of hairstyle was considered news in the tabloid press. Since hanging up his boots this combination of sporting success, good looks and a family image has done much to cement Beckham’s status as a global brand. Beckham’s face can shift anything from Breitling watches and adidas sports kit to Jaguars in China, while his torso sells underwear.
Photo/Abdeljalil Bounhar
A general view of the Moroccan Palace Hotel Amanjena resort in Marrakech where soccer player David Beckham is reported to be celebrating his 40th birthday with a grand party in Marrakech, Morocco, May, 2, 2015. AP
According to Forbes magazine, Beckham earned nearly pounds 50 million ($92 million) last year – more than twice as much as Lionel Messi, probably the world’s best footballer, much of it from celebrity endorsements and business ventures. This does not even take into account Victoria’s own substantial contribution to Brand Beckham.
The only glitch in the continuing success story has been Beckham’s faltering attempt to establish a Major League Soccer team in Miami, a project that has faced delays including local hostility to plans to build a new stadium.
But posting a series of relaxed family snaps from Marrakech, Beckham did not seem bothered by such matters. “I feel a very lucky man,” he wrote.
