David Beckham rings in his 50th birthday early; celebrates it with Lionel Messi, Tom Brady and Shaquille O'Neil

Former Real Madrid and Manchester United footballer David Beckham got an early start on his 50th birthday celebrations with a lavish party hosted by his wife, Victoria Beckham, on Sunday, March 30. (His actual birthday falls on May 2.) The event took place at a Miami=based lounge and saw the attendance of several high-profile guests, including Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, and Lionel Messi, along with the couple’s four children—Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper. Players from Inter Miami - a football club owned by David - including Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba among others were also part of celebrations.

Reflecting on the occasion, David shared a heartfelt Instagram post. You can check out his post here:

The black-tie affair featured an elegant dinner and drinks, with DJ D-Nice curating the music at a Miami-based lounge. According to People, David and his sons looked sharp in classic black tuxedos, while Victoria, Harper, Nicola Peltz (Brooklyn’s wife), and Kim Turnbull (Romeo’s girlfriend) all opted for timeless, floor-length gowns.

His Instagram Stories gave fans a closer look at the festivities, including a humorous snapshot where he stood between Tom and Shaquille. "I'm so small," Beckham, who stands 6 feet tall, captioned the image, positioned between the towering 6’4” Tom and 7’1” Shaquille.

Earlier this year, in an interview with Men’s Health in February, David addressed the upcoming milestone, stating that turning 50 "doesn’t bother me one bit." He elaborated, “People are asking me about it gently, like it should be a big issue. It’s not something that I’m worried about, as long as I’m fit and healthy and my family are healthy, that’s all I care about.”

Although he retired from professional football 12 years ago following a legendary career, David noted that he still feels physically strong despite enduring multiple injuries. “Do you know what, my body’s actually feeling better than it has ... for a long time,” he said. When asked about lingering effects of past injuries, he explained, “People ask where I feel it the most — is it my knees or my ankles? — My achilles was a bad injury towards the end of my playing career, but it never troubles me now, despite rupturing it.”