Beckham akanga atamba mumitambo yose yeEngland yekugadzirira 1998 World Cup uye aive chikamu chechikwata cheEngland muWorld Cup finals muFrance, asi mutungamiri wechikwata Glenn Hoddle akamupomera pachena kuti haana kuisa pfungwa pamutambo, uye haana kutanga mumitambo miviri yekutanga yeEngland. Akasarudzwa pamutambo wechitatu neColombia uye akawana ne 30-yard free kick mukukunda 2 <unk> 0, iyo yaiva chinangwa chake chekutanga kuEngland. Mumutambo wechipiri (wekupedzisira 16) wemakwikwi iwayo, akagamuchira kadhi tsvuku mumutambo weEngland neArgentina. Beckham, mushure mekurohwa naDiego Simeone, akarova Simeone akarara pasi, achimukuvadza pamutsipa unokosha. Sports Illustrated yakaratidza kuti vatambi veArgentina mumutambo iwoyo, vachibvisa chiitiko chekutanga che "Simeone" uye haana kutanga mumitambo miviri yekutanga yeEngland.
achiedza kuti Beckham adzingwe nokunyanyisa kuita chibhakera uye ipapo, pamwe chete nedzimwe nhengo dzechikwata chake, vachikurudzira mutongi kuti adzingise Beckham.