During the early years of his career, David Beckham was synonymous with the No. 7 jersey, wearing it for both his boyhood club, Manchester United, and the England national team.
However, his move to Real Madrid in 2003 marked the end of an era. The English midfielder swapped his iconic No. 7 for the No. 23 shirt—a number he would continue to wear later with the LA Galaxy.
At the time, Beckham was one of the most famous players in world soccer, making the change all the more surprising to fans. So why did he make the switch?
Here, Sports Illustrated takes a closer look.
Why Beckham Wore the No. 23 Jersey
The main reason David Beckham didn’t wear the No. 7 jersey at Real Madrid was simple—he couldn’t. The number was already taken by club captain and star forward Raúl, meaning Beckham had to choose an alternative.
He opted for No. 23, citing his admiration for basketball legend Michael Jordan, who famously wore the same number for the Chicago Bulls.
“So 23 was available, and I’d always been a huge fan of Michael Jordan,” Beckham said in an interview with ESPN. “I loved him as a player and a person—everything that he represented and everything he achieved. I was a huge fan, so it was a no-brainer.”
Beckham went on to enjoy a successful spell at the Santiago Bernabéu, winning a La Liga title and a Supercopa de España during his four seasons at the club. When he later moved to MLS to join the LA Galaxy, he chose to stick with No. 23—partly out of superstition, having enjoyed success with the number in Madrid.
Explaining his decision to keep the number in the United States, Beckham said: “It was just a number I wanted to keep because I’d been successful with it at Real Madrid—and like I said, I’m a fan of Michael Jordan.”
Why Beckham Wore the No. 32 Jersey for AC Milan & PSG
After giving up his No. 7 jersey, Beckham didn’t only wear No. 23 for the remainder of his career.
During his two loan spells at AC Milan and his brief half-season at Paris Saint-Germain, where he would finish his career, the midfielder instead wore the No. 32 jersey.
Why? At Milan, both the No. 7 and No. 23 shirts were already taken by Alexandre Pato and club vice-captain Massimo Ambrosini, respectively. At PSG, which Beckham joined in January 2013, the No. 7 jersey belonged to striker Jérémy Ménez, while defender Grégory van der Wiel had claimed No. 23.
Beckham chose 32 as a nod to another of his favorite-ever basketball players—Magic Johnson.
“When I went to Milan, 23 wasn’t available, No. 7 wasn’t available, [but] I also love Magic Johnson, who was 32,” Beckham later explained.
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