Sir David Beckham earns eyewatering payout from World Cup partnerships

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FT Desk

Sir David Beckham has earned a hefty payout thanks to various sponsorship deals that were in place in the run-up to and during the FIFA World Cup.

Earlier this year, Beckham became the first sportsperson in the history of the United Kingdom to accumulate wealth of more than £1 billion ($1.33bn).

He was the wealthiest sportsperson on the 2026 Sunday Times rich list, though there were people involved in sport who are higher such as the family of former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and Manchester United shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

For sports performers, the likes of Rory McIlroy, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Lewis Hamilton, Andy Murray and Harry Kane were on the list. Hamilton is the richest of those with an accumulated wealth of £425m ($566m).

Beckham's wealth thas grown significantly since that list was published, as well.

Thanks to his business, DRJB Holdings, he has pocketed £38.5m ($51m) due to various sponsorships related to the World Cup. If you watched the tournament, you would have seen him everywhere in ads for brands like Stella Artois and Lay's.

Bank of America, McDonald's and Verizon were also among the partnerships linked to DRJB Holdings.

In 2025, Beckham expanded his portfolio of brand partnerships, launching menswear ranges with Hugo Boss, a new pair of Adidas Predator football boots and an eyewear collection produced in collaboration with Italian manufacturer Safilo.

DRJB, in which Beckham holds a stake of almost 50%, also benefited from increased revenue generated by his health supplements business.

DRJB distributed £38.9m to its shareholders, with a further £46.6m special payment made after the financial year had ended.

Based on the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star's near-50% ownership of the company, he would have been entitled to approximately £38.5m of those dividend payments.

The remainder of DRJB is owned by New York-based Authentic Brands Group, which owns Reebok.

Authentic's entertainment chief executive Corey Salter said the earnings showed Beckham's name is "one of the most powerful global brands in sport, lifestyle, entertainment and much more".

"It's been an outstanding year, from new partnerships to important philanthropic campaigns and overall brand growth," he said.

The first footballer to become a billionaire was Cristiano Ronaldo, thanks to a new contract signed with Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr.

Ronaldo’s wages in Saudi Arabia are tax free, while his new contract is believed to have seen him secure a 15% equity stake in Al-Nassr as well as perks such as private jet access.

The 41-year-old is said to have earned over $550m (€472m) in salary between 2002 and 2023, while his endorsement deals with companies such as Nike, Armani and Castrol have added $175m (€150m) to his net worth.