King’s Birthday Honours List 2025: David Beckham Awarded Knighthood
The King’s Birthday Honours List for 2025 has been announced, and several notable figures from the world of sport have been recognised for their outstanding achievements. According to Sky Sports, former England football captain David Beckham has been awarded a knighthood for his services to football and charity.
Beckham, who began his football career at Manchester United, made 394 appearances and scored 85 goals for the club, before going on to play for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan, and Paris Saint-Germain. He also made 115 appearances for England, captaining his country 59 times. In addition to his football career, Beckham has been a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF since 2005 and has established the 7 Fund, aimed at helping vulnerable children around the world. As Sky Sports reports, Beckham supports a number of charities, including the Chelsea Pensioners, Help for Heroes, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Age UK, and the London Air Ambulance service.
In an exclusive report, Sky Sports revealed that 18-year-old darts sensation Luke Littler has been awarded an MBE for his services to darts. Littler, who is currently the world No 2 and the reigning world champion, has won two World Series of Darts titles, 13 PDC titles, and five major titles in his professional career. He is also the youngest player to hit a televised nine-dart finish. Littler’s rival, Luke Humphries, has also been awarded an MBE for services to darts. Humphries is the world No 1 and former world champion, having won the title in 2024.
As reported by Sky Sports, rugby league legend Billy Boston has become the first rugby league player to receive a knighthood. Boston, 90, is regarded as one of the sport’s greatest ever players, having scored 571 tries in his career, placing him as the second-highest try scorer in history. Born in Cardiff, Boston spent 15 years playing for Wigan, scoring a club-record 478 tries in 488 appearances before finishing his career with Blackpool Borough.
Tennis star Virginia Wade has received a CBE for services to tennis and charity. The 79-year-old won three major singles championships – the Australian Open, US Open, and Wimbledon – and four major doubles titles. Wade is the only British woman to have won titles at all four majors and was ranked as the world No 2 in singles and No 1 in doubles. As noted by Sky Sports, Wade serves as a patron for the charity Leadership Through Sport and is a director for Compton’s Yard Charitable Trust.
Aston Villa forward Rachel Daly has been awarded an MBE for services to football. Daly holds the joint record for the most goals in a Women’s Super League season with 22 and has won the WSL golden boot, PFA women’s players’ player of the year, and player of the season awards, all in the 2022/23 season. The 33-year-old has played 84 times for England, scoring 16 goals, and was part of the squad that won the Women’s European Championships in 2022. Other sports stars to be recognised include two-time Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee, who has been awarded an OBE; while MBEs have been awarded to two-weight boxing world champion Natasha Jonas, former Gloucestershire bowler David Lawrence, and former golfer and Sky Sports pundit Trish Johnson.
Bryan Henderson, head of cricket and NFL at Sky Sports, has been awarded an MBE for services to cricket. Henderson and Sanjay Patel, the former managing director of The Hundred, were heavily responsible for the planning and delivery of the short-format cricket tournament. The competition will this year deliver hundreds of millions of pounds to the game from the sale of the teams. "I’m very honoured and humbled," said Henderson, as quoted by Sky Sports. "It’s a tribute to all the amazing people I’ve been lucky enough to work with at Sky and in the sport I love." Patel added: "I feel very privileged to receive this award and to be given the opportunity to work in a sport that I love. I would like to thank the people who supported me and in particular the great team who helped build The Hundred."
Over a thousand recipients have been awarded for their exceptional achievements, with a particular focus on those who have given their time to public service. This year’s recipients include dedicated community champions, role models in sport, pioneers in the arts, passionate health workers, and supporters of young people. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "This year’s Birthday Honours List is a powerful reminder of the extraordinary dedication, compassion and service that exists in every corner of our country. From community champions to cultural icons, each recipient reflects the very best of Britain. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to them all," as reported by Sky Sports.
