Is David Beckham Jewish? Is David Beckham Christian? Sure, Why Not?

You’d think that after a Netflix documentary about a guy who’s been famous longer than he’s not been famous and 20-plus years in the spotlight might offer some insight on David Beckham’s religious beliefs. You’d be wrong.

The former professional footballer, the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF, co-owner of Salford City and Victoria Beckham’s better half’s belief system isn’t quite clear.

David may be part of the tribe. In an interview with The Guardian in 2007, the superstar said, "It's always nice to be loved and liked, and not just for the soccer. I've always been honored when people have made me feel special all around the world. I get that from the gay community around the world, from the Black community, and the Jewish community because I'm half Jewish. I'm really honored when people say different things about me. If I can have that effect in America, then great."

The Times of Israel wrote about David’s claim of Judaism, including quotes, "My grandfather always made sure we would keep up with certain traditions," and “We went to bar mitzvahs and weddings and I would wear a kippah. Every Saturday morning, I used to go to see my grandfather — you’d walk in the house to my grandmother preparing chicken soup and matzah balls and latkes. We always kept to those traditions; it was always about the family coming together and spending time together."

The piece also points out that his oldest child, son Brooklyn, married Jewish American actress Nicola Peltz in a Jewish ceremony in 2022. The day included a huppah, the breaking of a glass and the signing of a ketubah (a Jewish marriage contract).

Does a Jewish grandfather and a son in a Jewish wedding ceremony make David Jewish? Depends. "Orthodox Jews would say he is not Jewish because his mother was not Jewish; but his grandchildren would be Jewish because their mother Nicola Peltz is Jewish," the article notes. "But Reform Jews in North America and Liberal Jews in Briton and Europe would say if he publicly proclaims, 'I am part of the Jewish community and I am proud to say it,' he is one of us, as long as he is not a believing Christian, Hindu, etc."

Those proclamations are unlikely to happen. In a Reuters piece about then friendship between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and David and Victoria Beckham, it was made clear that the four never spoke about Tom’s belief in Scientology or David’s belief in, well, we’re not sure. David is quoted saying, "They do their thing. We do our thing."

The piece also points out David and Victoria were married by an Anglican Church of Ireland bishop in 1999, not exactly a representative of the Jewish faith.

While David does claim some ties to Judaism, he has some tattoos that might mean he’s Christian. In 2010 his tattoo of Jesus was on display after a game. The Toronto Star reported, “Adding to his inky collection, it’s an image of a wounded Christ sitting dejectedly, on his way to his crucifixion. Taken from a picture by Catholic artist Matthew R. Brooks, the tat is titled 'The Man of Sorrows,' referring to an Old Testament verse that many Christians see as predicting the Messiah.”

If a tattoo of Jesus on his ribs isn’t enough to make you think David might be Christian, there’s a much larger back tattoo of an angel and above that a cross with angel wings.

Maybe the biggest evidence of David being a Christian is David and Victoria baptizing their two youngest children at the Holy Trinity Church in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, in December 2019.