Beckham was captain of England from 15 November 2000 to 2 July 2006. He made 58 appearances as captain, and ended his tenure in that role after the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, however, continued to make contributions for the England national team in competitions after this.

Beckham captained Manchester United for the first time on 21 October 2000 in a Premiership match against Leeds United, coming on as a substitute for injured team captain Roy Keane.