A Football Magazine Tried to Predict David Beckham's Future Back in 1998 - Here's How It Turned Out

The aged prediction of the football icon's future has fans howling — and speculating what’s real under the surface. Scroll down to see the mock-up for yourself.

It was supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek prediction of how football golden boy David Beckham would age. But what began as a decades-old joke has come roaring back — and fans can't stop laughing... or accusing.

An unflattering, now-viral deepfake from 1998 — originally published in FourFourTwo magazine — has resurfaced online, and social media is having a field day. The image, cooked up by "experts" at the time, shows how they thought Beckham would look by 2020... and the result is nothing short of jaw-dropping.

In the aged-up image, a 2020-era Beckham is shown with a receding hairline, gapped teeth, an oversized forehead, and a bulbous nose — a stark contrast to the chiseled, designer-suited icon we know today.

But the brutal takedown didn't stop at his looks. Beneath the image, the magazine forecasted a washed-up has-been life for the then-Manchester United star.

"Things went distinctly pear-shaped for the Manchester United starlet after his club missed out on the 1998 championship and he lost his entire personal fortune in the Brylcreem crash of 2005," the article quipped.

"Now, well into his forties, he is reduced to appearing for England veterans' teams alongside his fellow Fergie fledglings and reminiscing wistfully about his glory days."

And in one final jab, his wife Victoria Beckham didn't escape unscathed. The mock article added:

"Posh, who has since ballooned to 20st since her singing career collapsed, now models clothes for the 'larger lady.'"

Fans found the throwback image hilarious — but wasted no time crediting Beckham's current looks to Botox, veneers, and a very good hair transplant.

"I mean it's probably what he would have looked like without having his hair done, his teeth done, his Botox done… 😂," one commenter quipped. Another added, "Would be exactly like that without 10 plastic surgery and hair transplant 😎😎."

"Without Botox and hair transplant it's not far off 🤷🏻‍♂️," a third agreed.

Some pointed to his wealth as the true secret. "That's him if he wasn't ever rich 😂," one fan joked. Another concurred, "Probably would have looked like this if he didn't have the money he's got! 😂"

"Absolutely hilarious. 😶" someone else added. See the photo below.