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In the early stages of his professional career, David Beckham was closely associated with the No. 7 shirt, donning it for both his beloved boyhood club Manchester United and the England national team.
However, his transfer to Real Madrid in 2003 signaled the end of that chapter. The English midfielder traded his legendary No. 7 for the No. 23 shirt—a number he would go on to wear with the LA Galaxy as well.
At that point, Beckham was among the most recognizable players in global soccer, making the jersey switch all the more unexpected for supporters. So what prompted the change?
Here, Sports Illustrated takes a deeper dive into the story.
Why Beckham Wore the No. 23 Jersey
The primary reason David Beckham was unable to wear the No. 7 jersey at Real Madrid was straightforward—it wasn't available. The number was already held by club captain and star striker Raúl, leaving Beckham to select a different option.
He settled on No. 23, pointing to his deep admiration for basketball icon Michael Jordan, who famously sported the same number while playing 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 have a fruitful stint at the Santiago Bernabéu, claiming a La Liga title and a Supercopa de España across his four seasons with the club. When he subsequently moved to MLS to play for the LA Galaxy, he chose to retain No. 23—partly out of superstition, having experienced success with the number in the Spanish capital.
Reflecting on 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 relinquishing his No. 7 jersey, Beckham didn't exclusively wear No. 23 for the rest of his playing days.
During his two loan stints at AC Milan and his brief half-season at Paris Saint-Germain, where he would ultimately hang up his boots, the midfielder instead wore the No. 32 shirt.
Why? At Milan, both the No. 7 and No. 23 jerseys were already occupied by Alexandre Pato and club vice-captain Massimo Ambrosini, respectively. At PSG, which Beckham joined in January 2013, the No. 7 shirt belonged to forward Jérémy Ménez, while defender Grégory van der Wiel had taken No. 23.
Beckham selected 32 as a tribute to another of his all-time favorite 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.