Beckham, meanwhile, was more or less born into the spotlight, his pop star mum and soccer sensation dad arguably Britain’s hottest pair when he arrived just months before their 1999 vows. Growing up, he’d tried his hand—or feet, rather—at the family business, training at Arsenal’s youth academy, but ultimately decided he wasn’t ready for a life on the pitch.
“One of my boys turned around to me the other day and said, ‘Daddy, I’m not sure I want to play football all the time,'” David told ABC News in 2015. “It broke my heart a little bit. He said, ‘Every time I step on to the field, I know people are saying, “This is David Beckham’s son,” and if I am not as good as you, then it is not good enough.'”
He had other avenues to explore, his dad being the first to gift him the Fujifilm camera that would inspire his dream profession. And he had quite the backup plan, his genetic windfall turning him into the type of in-demand model that posed for the likes of Miss Vogue, Vogue China and British Vogue.