Cruz Beckham has been praised after he was seen comforting his father, Sir David Beckham, in an emotional moment following England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina.
The 21-year-old wrapped his arm around the former England captain after Lautaro Martínez's late winner silenced England fans inside Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday night. Television cameras captured the touching exchange, with Sir David appearing close to tears as Cruz leaned in to embrace him.
Social media reaction
The moment quickly struck a chord with viewers watching at home. “Beckham near to tears and being consoled by Cruz was the sweetest thing I've ever seen,” one fan wrote on X. Another added: “That hug between David and Cruz Beckham was wholesome.”
Sir David, 51, and Victoria Beckham, 52, watched the dramatic semi-final alongside their children Romeo, Cruz and Harper, as well as Cruz's girlfriend, Jackie Apostel.
Match details
It looked as though England were heading for a first World Cup final in 60 years after Anthony Gordon gave Thomas Tuchel's side the lead in the second half. However, Argentina turned the tie on its head with goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez in the closing stages, ending England's hopes of lifting the trophy.
Earlier in the match, Victoria celebrated Gordon's opener by leaping into Sir David's arms – a far more animated reaction than during England's quarter-final victory over Norway, when her subdued response to Jude Bellingham's goal sparked a wave of memes online. Sir David later joked on Instagram that his wife had in fact been “celebrating inside”, insisting her reactions were simply “slightly slower” than his own.
Family backdrop
The Beckham family had travelled to the United States to support England throughout the tournament, with Sir David cheering on the Three Lions despite also having close ties to Argentina captain Lionel Messi through his role as co-owner of Inter Miami.
Their family night out comes as their estrangement with son Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicola Peltz continues. The 27-year-old has been locked in a feud with his parents and is believed to no longer speak to his siblings Cruz, 21, Romeo, 23, and Harper, 15. Last month, Brooklyn came under fire after the full version of his controversial World Cup advert appeared to take another swipe at his family, with fans branding the campaign “distasteful”.
The aspiring chef unveiled the complete DoorDash commercial following England's World Cup victory against Croatia, days after the teaser sparked accusations he was "cashing in" on his estrangement from parents. The ads have sparked controversy, and his famous parents have reportedly been left “inconsolable” by the advert.
The hot sauce entrepreneur has been engaged in a long-running feud with his parents ever since his explosive claim in January that they have been “trying endlessly to ruin my relationship since before my wedding, and it hasn’t stopped”. He also alleged his wife, Nicola, had been “disrespected” by his family. He has not made a public appearance with his parents nor acknowledged them on social media since his statement, in which he also claimed his parents control narratives in the press about their family and put “Brand Beckham” first.
