Fans are sharing their candid reactions to David Beckham’s Spanish-speaking skills, which he displayed while greeting Lionel Messi.
The pair had a brief interaction backstage at the DRV Pink Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a special event hosted by the Inter Miami soccer club. In footage shared to Twitter by Inter Miami’s official account, Beckham shook Messi’s hand and gave him a hug.
Beckham’s greeting continued with him speaking in Spanish, as he asked: “Todo bien?”, which means “All good?” in English.
In response, Messi, who recently joined Inter Miami, nodded at the former soccer star and continued the conversation. The athlete was also dressed in his new, all-pink uniform as he chatted with Beckham, who is the owner of the Florida-based soccer club.
On Twitter, many fans have expressed how they didn’t realise that Beckham could speak Spanish, while others poked fun at how he didn’t appear to be fluent in the language while playing for Spanish football club Real Madrid.
“David Beckham didn’t learn Spanish in Madrid but may learn Spanish in Miami for Leo Messi,” one quipped.
“Since when does David Beckham speak Spanish,” another added, while a third wrote: “I forgot David Beckham could speak Spanish lol figured he was like [Gareth] Bale and just didn’t learn it in Madrid.”
Other people continued to mock Beckham’s choice of language while speaking to Messi, with one responding to the video: “David Beckham had to learn Spanish for this.”
‘“Todo bien, todo bien’ is all he speaks…,” another added.
When he first joined Real Madrid in 2003, Beckham first acknowledged that he wasn’t fluent in Spanish. However, he noted that he was ready to learn the language, as a new member of team, and was looking forward to “integrating” it into his life with the help of his teammates.
“Everything will be easier when I have learned the language, although I admit that it won’t be easy,” he said at an interview with Real Madrid’s website at the time, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald. “[My teammates] have helped me to integrate as quickly as possible. They are just as good off the field as they are on the field. I’m very grateful to them.”
However, after his four years playing with Real Madrid, fans criticised his farewell conference, with claims that he still had a lack of fluency in the language, as noted by The Guardian.
During the ceremony in Florida, which was dubbed The Unveil and broadcast live, the 36-year-old Argentina superstar also greeted Beckham with a hug before receiving his pink No 10 jersey.
“I want to thank all the people of Miami for their welcome and love since I arrived in this city,” he told the crowd. “The truth is that I’m very excited and very happy to be here in Miami and to be with you. I can’t wait to start training and competing. I’m here with the desire I’ve always had to compete, to want to win, and to help the club continue to grow.”
As the stadium was practically full, despite the event was delayed due to poor weather, Beckham said that this made for a “typical Miami welcome for one of the greatest players to ever have played the game”.
Messi revealed last month he had decided to join the Florida side as his contract with Paris St Germain came to an end. He is line to make his debut as an Inter Miami player on Friday against Mexico’s Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.
