David Beckham, perhaps the most well-known soccer player of his generation, is now set to retire. BBC News is reporting that Beckham intends to retire from playing soccer after his season in France’s Ligue 1 is over. The season ends on May 26.
Beckham’s current team, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), last weekend locked up its first Ligue 1 title in almost 20 years. The victory caused fans in Paris to celebrate, which turned into a riot after protesters clashed with police. Dozens of fans were injured and arrested, and shop windows along the Champs-Elysees were broken.
During his 20-year career, Beckham has won championships in four different leagues – the Premier League with Manchester United, La Ligua with Real Madrid, Major League Soccer with the Los Angeles Galaxy, and now Ligue 1 with PSG. He also won the FA Cup and Champions League with Manchester United, captained the English soccer team for six years, and scored goals in three different World Cups.
“I’m thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level,” said Beckham. “If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over one hundred times and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy. I’m fortunate to have realised those dreams.”