David and Victoria Beckham: A Timeline of Their Relationship

The couple's love story traces back to 1997, when Victoria was known as "Posh Spice" and David was in the early years of his soccer career with Manchester United. David and Victoria met at a charity match at Manchester United players' lounge, per Us Weekly.

Victoria later revealed details of when they first crossed paths in a 2017 essay for Vogue, writing to her younger, 18-year-old self, "Love at first sight does exist. It will happen to you in the Manchester United players' lounge – although you will get a little drunk, so exact details are hazy."

She continued, "While the other football players stand at the bar drinking with their mates, you will see David standing aside with his family. (He's not even in the first team at this stage – you are the famous one.) And he has such a cute smile. You, too, are close to your family, and you will think how similar he feels to you."

After dating for nearly a year, David and Victoria announced their engagement in a press conference in January 1998. The lovebirds stood shyly in front of the cameras as reporters asked questions about Victoria's engagement ring, among other questions. During the press conference, David and Victoria also told the press that they had plans on marrying in the summer of 1999.

In late 1998, David and Victoria revealed that they were expecting their first child together and welcomed son Brooklyn Joseph Beckham on March 4, 1999. In her 2001 autobiography "Learning to Fly" (via Yahoo!), Victoria revealed the inspiration behind her son's name, writing, "I had always liked the name Brooke and then we suddenly thought about Brooklyn. I'd always liked it as a place — it's very multi-cultural, very grounded. And it was only afterwards that I realized how appropriate it was because it was in New York that I found out I was pregnant."

Just a few short months after the birth of Brooklyn, the couple tied the knot at Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland, as reported by Harper's Bazaar. In true couple's goals fashion, David and Victoria matched in white, with the soccer star wearing an all-white tuxedo and Victoria wearing a strapless Vera Wang gown with a 18 karat gold tiara.

On Sept. 1, 2002, David and Victoria welcomed their second child, Romeo James Beckham, into the world. David announced the news outside of London's Portland Hospital, telling the press (via Us Weekly), "He looks like Brooklyn. He's got Brooklyn's nose and Victoria's chin."

In 2003, David signed a contract with Real Madrid, and the couple moved to Spain with their two children. While living in Madrid, David and Victoria welcomed their third child, Cruz David Beckham, on Feb. 20, 2005. Per Harper's Bazaar, David announced the news to the press outside of the hospital, saying, "We've got a baby boy. His name is Cruz. He is beautiful. He is in there with his brothers now and he is very happy."

To celebrate his 10th wedding anniversary with Victoria, David got a tattoo sleeve of ten roses on his arm in September 2009. He revealed the sweet inspiration behind the tattoo in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres that same month, telling the host (via Us Weekly), "Yeah, I [got] 10 roses around my arms. We always try and do things special, you know. It's not always about buying gifts for each other, of course. We just make sure that we make time together or go for dinner together and do special things. That's important to us."

In 2011, David and Victoria continued expanding their family and welcomed their fourth child and first daughter, Harper Seven Beckham, on July 10, 2011. A spokesperson for the Beckhams said in a statement (via People), "Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz are excited to welcome their new baby sister to the family."

Though it is unknown when exactly David and Victoria renewed their vows, the soccer legend revealed in an interview with BBC's Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs" that it was much more low-key than their 1999 wedding. "It was a lot more private, about six people there in our house," he explained (via People).

During the interview, David also discussed how he and Victoria have maintained such a strong relationship over their 18-year marriage. "We're a strong family unit. We've got strong parents. We were brought up with the right values," he shared. "Of course you make mistakes over the years, and we all know marriage is difficult at times. It's about working through it."

Over the course of their marriage, David and Victoria were subject to a brutal press that often tried to discredit their marriage and perpetuate infidelity rumors. In 2018, rumors began to swirl that the couple were on the brink of divorce, but Victoria was quick to shut down the rumors. She said in a September interview with British Vogue, "People have been making things up about our relationship for 20 years, so David and I are pretty used to ignoring the nonsense and just carrying on as normal. But these things have a wider effect on the people around us, and that's unfair."

Despite experiencing the highs and lows of being in the spotlight, David and Victoria have proven that they are in it for the long run. In July 2019, the couple celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary and took to Instagram to share their love for one another for the special occasion. In a video with pictures of the two over the years, Victoria wrote, "20 years today. I love you so much xxxxx Kisses x @davidbeckham."

David, in a similar fashion, shared pictures of Victoria with their children, and wrote, "WOW 20 years , look what we created ♥️ Love you so much ♥️ @victoriabeckham @brooklynbeckham @romeobeckham @cruzbeckham #HarperSeven ♥️."

Regardless of how long David and Victoria have been together, the retired athlete is always looking for new ways to honor his wife. In September 2023, he shared via Instagram that he got a tattoo on his finger that spelled "Posh." Throughout their relationship, the two were often referred to as "Posh and Becks," which the tattoo honors as well.

David's life, including his success in soccer, his struggle with fame, and his highly publicized marriage to Victoria, is at the center of "Beckham," a multi-part documentary series hitting Netflix on Oct. 4. In the trailer, Victoria explains that in the early days of their relationship, her manager told her to keep it as private as possible. "My manager kept saying, 'Try and keep it under wraps,'" she revealed. "So we would meet in car parks — and that's not as seedy as it sounds."