Sir David Beckham was among the thousands of England fans left emotional after the Three Lions' 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the Men's World Cup semi-final. The football icon held his head in his hands, fighting back tears as the match slipped away.
His wife, Victoria Beckham, who had recently faced jokes about her lack of enthusiasm for the team, wrapped her arm around Sir David, 51, and rested her head on his shoulder as he looked over the pitch with crossed arms. The couple were joined in the stands by their children Romeo, 23, Harper, 15, and Cruz, 21, along with Cruz's girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 30. Cruz, wearing an England t-shirt, looked equally emotional as his father hugged him.
England's fightback falls short
England managed to score in the 55th minute, but Argentina responded with two consecutive goals to secure the win. Victoria, 52, made a point of celebrating the first goal enthusiastically after being criticized for her subdued reaction to Jude Bellingham's goal the previous week. In response to a comedian's joke about her 'infectious smile', Sir David had written: 'She was celebrating inside I promise her reactions were slightly slower than mine.' This time, she leapt into the air and hugged her husband, cheering as England fans erupted into song.
Celebrities flock to Atlanta for the match
The Beckhams were not alone in their star-studded support. Sir Mick Jagger was spotted walking into the stadium, while Louis Tomlinson, 34, attended with girlfriend Zara McDermott and a friend, drinking a Stella. The former One Direction star had previously told Fifa it was an 'absolute honour' to be at the match, calling Bellingham his favourite player and a 'great role model'. Millie Bobby Brown shared on Instagram that she's 'so proud to be English' and 'so proud of my team', watching from a box in jeans with a Union Jack on the back and a blue England t-shirt.
McFly's Danny Jones posted a video of kick-off, and Ross Kemp, known for his enthusiastic cheerleading, shared a shirtless selfie before the game, kissing his jersey three times and yelling 'come on England'. After Gordon scored, he chanted 'it's a goal, it's a goal' and declared he was 'so proud'. He later posted 'we deserve to win' but went quiet on social media as Argentina took the lead.
Reactions on social media
On X, Piers Morgan wrote: 'This has been a Tuchel tactical masterclass. Take us home, Thomas!' He followed up with a simple 'ffs' after the Argentine goals. Liam Gallagher took a calmer approach, sharing: 'Respect to the lads it's nobody's GOD given right to win the WC congratulations to Argentina, best team won onwards n sideways LG x'. He added: 'England won't win a WC until we get street wise and that goes for the managers, it's all got too technical, let the kids run wild.'
Alan Carr showed support by joking he was 'watching football with the mrs', posting a photo with Susie Dent, both holding pints. He had his face painted with the St George's flag and wore a jersey, also sharing a snap of himself giving the middle finger—a mood felt by many fans after the semi-final defeat.
