David Beckham was joined by Stanley Tucci and Guy Ritchie to watch Inter Milan’s thrilling win over Barcelona – yes, you read that correctly.
It sounds more like some kind of fever dream but Beckham, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, hosted an the first of what will be a series called Beckham & Friends Live from CBS Sports’ London studios, streamed on Paramount+.
He explained the origins of his friendships with American actor Tucci and renowned director Ritchie, in speaking to presenter Kate Scott at the start of the show.
Positioned in a room put together to seem like a cosy library in an old country house, complete with faux fire, Beckham said he’d known Ritchie for 15 years and they shot an advertising campaign together of him in his pants.
He then explained his friendship with Tucci stemmed from his admiration of his TV show about Italian food, which was also the basis of the actor’s connection to Ritchie.
The trio picked a remarkable match for the first in the series, with Inter Milan going 2-0 up, 5-3 ahead on aggregate, before Barcelona scored three on the trot to put themselves on the cusp of a remarkable triumph.
David Beckham was the leading star on an Altcast for the Champions League semi-final
Beckham was joined by Stanley Tucci (front left), Guy Ritchie (back left) and presenter Kate Scott (front right) and they watched the Inter Milan vs Barcelona second leg
Then unlikely hero Francesco Acerbi scored the goal to take it to extra time, where Davide Frattesi curled in what proved to be the winner, sending the Italian crowd into a frenzy.
One conversation piece of note was when Beckham explained how Barcelona tried to sign him from Manchester United, only for him to refuse to go.
He said: ‘My team (in Spain) was always Real Madrid and funnily enough I got sold from Manchester United to Barcelona.
‘I was on holiday, Peter Kenyon phoned me and said: We’ve accepted a bid from Barcelona and we’re selling you.
‘So obviously I said: “If you are going to sell me, then the only team I want to move to is Real Madrid, because I always has a dream of playing for Real Madrid when I was a young kid”.
‘You look at Real Madrid as this incredible team and that was a dream I had.
‘I never thought I would leave Manchester United but if I did, I’d love to have played for Real Madrid and once I’d obviously heard that I’d been sold to Barcelona, if they wanted me to leave, then the only club I wanted to go to was Real Madrid.
‘So (United) had to backpedal and if they wanted me to leave enough, that was the only club I was going to. Funnily enough, in a day and a half, it happened.’
Beckham spoke about turning down a move to Barcelona before joining Real Madrid
Beckham, pictured with wife Victoria in Spain in 2003, said it was a dream to play for Real
Beckham said Lamine Yamal is the closest thing he has seen to Lionel Messi
He continued: ‘It’s amazing how your whole life can change in a couple of days. I was on holiday with Victoria and one of the kids at the time.
‘I was a Manchester United player when I went, I arrived back and within a day and a half, I’d signed for Real Madrid and I was moving.
‘I’d signed my first contract when I was 12, moved there when I was 15 and stayed there until I was 27… I didn’t have time to be ready.
‘It was a hard one for me, I must admit. I never watched Manchester United play for three years after I left. It was too painful, but I was happy to be where I was.’
During the game, Beckham also had his say on incredible 17-year-old talent Lamine Yamal, who ended up on the losing side but lit up both legs of the tie.
Pictured: Cruz, Romeo, Harper, Victoria and David all at the footballer’s 50th birthday bash in the Cotswolds on Wednesday – Brooklyn and wife Nicola Peltz were notable absentees
He said: ‘You can’t compare anyone to Messi, in my opinion, but he’s the closest thing I have seen.’
Beckham & Friends will feature James Cordon for the Arsenal vs PSG second leg on Wednesday and guests for the Altcast for the Champions League final on May 31 will be announced in due course.
No doubt the evening among friends will have been a welcome distraction for Beckham, amid an ongoing family feud.
Eldest son Brooklyn snubbed the lavish party for his dad’s 50th birthday and also an invitation to go on a fishing trip with David, Romeo and Cruz.
The star-studded guest list including the likes of Eva Longoria, The Ramsays and Tom Cruise and his rumoured girlfriend Ana De Armas – but Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz were the big no-show.
A source told the Sun: ‘David is heartbroken but putting a brave face on it. It is all about celebration and love, and he is swimming in it.
‘Brooklyn actually informed his parents a while ago that he and his wife, Nicola, would not be attending but, of course, David and Victoria desperately hoped he would change his mind.’
Friends told Katie Hind that Brooklyn snubbed all the celebrations and is no longer speaking to the family and that the feud ‘is all about his wife Nicola’.
