How David Beckham Made More Money Than Every National Team at the 2026 World Cup

The latest accounts from David Beckham’s company have shown the retired England international and Inter Miami co-owner banked around £38.5 million ($51.1 million) after a summer spent splashed across the 2026 World Cup. Incredibly, these record revenues exceed the prize money earned by every single nation actually competing in the tournament.

Brand Beckham was omnipresent at the most overtly capitalist interpretation of the World Cup in the competition’s 96-year history. Even the rubbery figure of FIFA President Gianni Infantino with his obligated cameos on TV coverage couldn’t eclipse the bearded 51-year-old.

As the most recognizable soccer figure in the United States thanks to his celebrity, playing career at LA Galaxy and status as Lionel Messi’s boss, there were no shortage of commercial opportunities for the hardest working man in North America.

The array of adverts in which Beckham appeared across the tournament was staggering, seemingly covering every aspect of waking life; right from breakfast through to tumbling asleep on a new mattress, with trips to DIY stores, banks and fast food joints jostling for airtime.

It’s a testament to his enduring image that Beckham remains the go-to face for companies trying to jump on the soccer bandwagon. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star has been retired since 2013; England’s starting left back this summer, Nico O’Reilly, had celebrated just one birthday by the time Beckham made his final World Cup appearance for the Three Lions.

However, the set-piece specialist had been planning his post-career progression a decade before he actually retired. When Beckham signed his final bumper contract at Manchester United, angering Sir Alex Ferguson with his sizeable image rights demands, the midfielder shrugged: “We live in a commercial world.” The globe has only spiraled in one direction since and Beckham has made sure to profit.

How Beckham’s Earnings Compare to the Actual World Cup Nations

Jude Bellingham (left) and David Beckham. — David Beckham (right) remains England’s most marketable soccer player, despite being retired for more than a decade. | Eddie Keogh/The FA/Getty Images

This was the largest pool of prize money FIFA has ever offered at a World Cup, yet even the Spanish champions were narrowly pipped by Beckham’s earnings. Luis de la Fuente’s side could point toward a $51 million payout for beating Argentina in the dry heat of New Jersey.

Beckham’s DRJB Holdings reported a profit of almost £50 million ($66.2 million), with the former free-kick taker entitled to a cool $51.1 million thanks to his majority stake in the company that bears his initials, BBC Sport have calculated.

2026 World Cup Prize Money

Position	Prize Money
Being David Beckham	$51.1 million
Winner	$51 million
Runner-up	$34 million
Third place	$30 million
Fourth place	$28 million
Beaten in Quarterfinals	$20 million
Beaten in Round of 16	$16 million
Beaten in Round of 32	$12 million
Group Stage Exit	$10 million

Thomas Tuchel’s England, for a comparison closer to home, banked $30 million by beating France in the wacky third-place playoff, a fraction of what the team’s tattooed mascot earned while following them around the continent.

It remains to be seen how much the individual stars of the tournament were able to make from their commercial obligations. A figure like Norway’s Erling Haaland, whose fame sky-rocketed as fans feverishly gobbled up a quirky personality which was revealed on social media, would have been in a strong position to monetize his marketability.

Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, perhaps the only two soccer players as famous as Beckham among the World Cup’s co-hosts, certainly wouldn’t have let the tournament pass them by on the cheap. Before the competition had even commenced, Forbes estimated that the pair had both made in excess of $65 million from their off-field earnings alone during the 2025–26 club season.

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