DAVID BECKHAM - ENGLAND

Date of birth: May 2, 1975
Birthplace: Leytonstone, England
Club: Real Madrid (Spain)
Position: Midfielder
International debut: September 1996 vs. Moldova

He's the most famous athlete on the planet and his name is not Tiger Woods, Barry Bonds or Shaquille O'Neal.

He's David Beckham.

Captain of England and one of the world's biggest celebrities, the Real Madrid midfielder is a prodigiously talented player who has become a global icon thanks to his Hollywood good looks and marriage to former Spice Girl, Victoria "Posh" Adams.

His value to the English national team is plain — he's renowned for his lethally accurate shot and his uncanny ability to bend the ball with deadly precision on free kicks and crosses from the right wing.

Beckham's talents were evident early. He won the Bobby Charlton Soccer Skills Award when he was 11 and signed as a trainee with Manchester United, one of the top clubs in the English Premiership, when he was 15.

He became a household name in 1996 when he scored an amazing goal against Wimbledon from the halfway-line and won acclaim when he helped Manchester United win a treble of trophies — the English Premiership title, FA Cup and Champions League crown — in 1999.

But he hasn't always been the golden boy of English soccer.

Beckham was the target of much abuse in his homeland when a temper tantrum earned him a red card in the 1998 World Cup in France. Beckham became a national pariah through being sent off for kicking at Argentina's Diego Simeone. Playing a man short, England lost and was eliminated in the second round.

His reputation has recovered since.

Two years after the Simeone debacle, he was made captain of England and he went on to score the winning goal against Argentina in the first round at the 2002 World Cup. England reached the quarter-finals of that competition, as well as the final eight of Euro 2004, with Beckham playing a prominent role both times.

The unthinkable happened in 2003 when he parted ways with his beloved Manchester United after a falling out with manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Beckham was sold to Spanish club Real Madrid, but his departure could not erase his years of success at United.

During his time at United, he helped the club reach worldwide fame as the biggest and most successful sports franchise on the planet. United also achieved great success on the field, winning six league titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League.

Success in Spain has proven harder to come by, however. Thus far, Real Madrid has yet to win a single league title or Spanish Cup during Beckham's three years with the club.

Nonetheless, Beckham has distinguished himself in Spain with his consistent play and commitment, and has been one of the few Real Madrid players who can hold his head high during this championship dry spell.

Beckham has been a key player for England ever since making his national team debut in 1996. He's captained his country for the last six years, has scored important goals — most notably on a stunning free kick against Greece that secured qualification for the 2002 World Cup — and led by example with his hard work.

International honours have eluded Beckham and England, but that could change in Germany. The style icon and several of his teammates are at the peak of their talent, leading many pundits to believe this could be England's best chance at achieving World Cup glory for years to come.