FourFourTwo's best team ever: Our ultimate XI of the last 30 years

Features
By Contributions from , , , , , , , , published

Presenting the best team ever - of FourFourTwo's lifetime, at least: an XI who have defined the past 30 years of football

RM: David Beckham

David Beckham celebrates after scoring a free-kick against Greece to seal England's qualification for the 2002 World Cup.

David Beckham celebrates after scoring a free-kick against Greece to seal England's qualification for the 2002 World Cup (Image credit: Getty Images)

He is the first English footballer to win championships in four countries – England, Spain, USA and France – and won 115 England caps over a 13-year international career. Renowned for his accuracy from free kicks, Beckham scored 18 in the Premier League – which at the time of writing is still a record.

FourFourTwo

Beckham on the front of FourFourTwo in 1999 (Image credit: Future)

Beckham played at the very top for the whole of his career, in England, Spain, France, Italy and also played a pivotal role in helping MLS grow and become what it is today. But for all his free kicks, long and accurate passes and crossing ability, Beckham's sheer work and determination is sometimes overlooked.

The World Cup qualifier against Greece at Old Trafford is a perfect example of this. Yes he scored the decisive free kick that booked England’s place in Japan and South Korea, but that had come on the back of 90+ minutes of him covering every blade of grass for the cause.

Make no mistake, David Beckham was an exceptional footballer on the pitch and a global icon off it.

James Andrew

Mark White
Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.

With contributions from