David Beckham has opened up on why he decided to retire from football after playing against Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.
The former England captain called time on his illustrious career after half a season with French giants Paris Saint-Germain in 2013.
He played in the Champions League against Barcelona and Beckham decided it was time to retire after Messi darted past him.
“I probably decided to retire when Messi was running past me,” the 44-year-old conceded per Yahoo Sports.
“Playing in the MLS in 2012 and winning the championship there and then coming to PSG and winning the French league here, it's a good way to go out.”
PSG were knocked out of that year's Champions League by the Catalan giants, but Beckham admitted he still enjoyed his last taste of European football.
“We were ahead. [Messi] came on and Barcelona scored,” he explained per The Sun.
“Despite my age, I enjoyed playing and the team was good in both games. We did things to be proud of. We didn't lose to them.”
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Beckham is now back in America and owns his own franchise, Inter Miami CF.
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 years ago
