David Beckham’s recent four-hour Netflix documentary series Beckham, which chronicles his legendary football career and personal life, has come under scrutiny. The Sunday Times has identified six instances where it alleges the documentary reshaped history to maintain Beckham’s pristine image.
World Cup Match 1998: The documentary suggests that Beckham faced hostility and abuse from his own Manchester United supporters after receiving a red card in a match against Argentina. According to the Sunday Times, Beckham retained his Man Utd fanbase’s support and was not targeted by them.
World Cup Qualifier 2001: The documentary implies that Beckham was fouled on the pitch just before scoring a crucial goal from a free kick, saving England’s hopes. In truth, it was his teammate Teddy Sheringham who was fouled, setting up the opportunity for Beckham.
Madrid 2004: The documentary explores the fallout from tabloid allegations of an affair between Beckham and his personal assistant Rebecca Loos. A Daily Mirror front page is shown with a quote suggesting that “the England captain dismissed the allegations as ludicrous.” However, the actual newspaper started with the words, “My sister DID have an affair with Becks.”
Despite the eagle-eyed critics finding faults with the documentary, BECKHAM has amassed 6.4 million views and brought 3.4 million new subscribers to Netflix, making it a huge win for the platform.