'I was sad' - David Beckham showed true colours with response to Brooklyn quitting football

Brooklyn Beckham's decision to abandon his football career had a profound impact on his relationship with father David Beckham, and may have sowed the seeds for their current feud

The once-close-knit Beckham family currently finds itself embroiled in a bitter feud that has shocked observers.

The focus of the growing estrangement is the relationship between David Beckham and his firstborn, Brooklyn Beckham. The 26-year-old's notable absence from the three extravagant celebrations for David's 50th birthday earlier this month has reignited attention on their pair's relationship.

The beginning of this emotional divide may well trace back to a key moment: Brooklyn's decision to quit football - a move that hit David hard. In 2014, when Brooklyn was 15 years old, he opted to walk a different path to the one his father had taken, despite being part of Arsenal's youth academy at the time.

David, a football legend with an illustrious career at Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan and PSG, had long dreamed of seeing his son continue the family legacy on the pitch. But instead, Brooklyn chose to forge his own route, switching to a career in photography, fashion and entrepreneurship.

In a revealing 2015 interview with ABC, David confessed it "broke his heart" to realise how much Brooklyn felt eclipsed by his own fame. "One of my boys turned around to me the other day and said, 'Daddy, I'm not sure I want to play football all the time,'" he revealed.

"It broke my heart a little bit. He said, 'Every time I step on to the field, I know people are saying, This is David Beckham's son,' and if I am not as good as you, then it is not good enough.'"

Brooklyn, speaking to Variety in 2022, admitted his decision was emotionally difficult. "My dad wasn't sad, because he was like, 'I just want you to be happy,'" he said. "But of course, I was sad. It was my whole life since I was literally two."

Rather than acting as an overbearing parent, David demonstrated his willingness to support Brooklyn's self-determined journey, even when it diverged from his own dreams.

Brooklyn later claimed that anxiety and constant comparison to his father played key roles in his decision to quit football, with the weight of expectation and frequent judgment from coaches created an overwhelming environment. He said he "never really enjoyed" football due to the unrelenting focus on whether he matched up to his dad.

Although David understood and respected his son's decision, the break may have introduced a subtle emotional rift that has widened over time. Fast-forward to 2025 and the family appears to be deeply divided.

Brooklyn and his wife, Nicola Peltz, skipped all of David's milestone birthday festivities - including a black-tie gala in Miami, an intimate gathering in the English countryside, and a high-profile Met Gala bash in London.

Reports claim Brooklyn opted out due to lingering unease about Nicola's role in past family disagreements. One insider said Brooklyn had suggested a smaller get-together without the presence of Kim Turnbull, his brother Romeo's girlfriend, with whom he shares a complicated history.

David reportedly rejected that proposal, maintaining that birthdays should be celebrated as a whole family. Feeling dismissed, Brooklyn and Nicola ultimately declined to attend, which insiders say caused significant heartbreak for David and Victoria.

The current strain echoes longstanding issues, especially those that surfaced around Brooklyn and Nicola's 2022 nuptials. Rumours of conflicts during the wedding planning stage sparked tension between Nicola and Victoria, with the Beckhams allegedly feeling excluded from key moments.

Although there were signs of reconciliation afterward, recent events indicate that those efforts may have faltered. Brooklyn's noticeable absence from Victoria's birthday and the silence surrounding his wedding anniversary have only fuelled rumours of deeper familial disconnection.

In what appeared to be an attempt to extend an olive branch, David posted during his birthday: "You were missed @brooklynbeckham". But Brooklyn's choice to skip these milestone events and stand by Nicola suggests a growing emotional separation - one that may be difficult to bridge.