“It was just a moment of madness” – David Beckham opens up on impact of ‘embarrassing’ moment against Argentina during England’s 1998 World Cup

Former England star David Beckham has revealed the emotions he felt after being sent off in the World Cup Round of 16 against Argentina in 1998.

A 23-year-old Beckham was very much the main man in Glenn Hoddle's side after he enjoyed a storming group stage. However, he was targeted by the South American giants in the first knockout game.

When the midfielder kicked out at Diego Simeone, the referee showed Beckham a straight red card. The Three Lions were eventually knocked out by their arch-rivals on penalties.

Speaking to Gary Neville on the Overlap YouTube channel, the future England captain admitted he couldn't hold back the tears following the game. He claimed:

“I don’t think I’ve ever been as emotional as I was coming out of that ground and seeing my mum and dad. [It was] like uncontrollable sobbing, which was slightly embarrassing because at the time, the Argentinian coach [bus] was going past and they were all banging [on the windows], so it was a little bit embarrassing. That was tough.”

Beckham admitted that it was a moment of regret for him and said:

“It was just a moment that happened, where I reacted and it was just a moment of madness. When I look back at my career and I talk about regrets, I wish that [incident] would never have happened."

He added:

"But I then look at the flipside, if it hadn’t happened, I might not have had the career that I had. I might not have been as strong as I was after that time to get through some of the stuff that I went through throughout my career. So I turned it into a positive, but it was of course one of those moments you never want to happen in a game.”

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David Beckham's inspirational story of World Cup redemption for England

The then-Manchester United midfielder suffered heaps of abuse following the red card on that infamous night in Saint-Étienne.

However, just three years later, Beckham was appointed England captain by Sven-Goran Eriksen. He led his side to an incredible 5-1 victory against Germany in a World Cup qualifier.

Beckham's finest moment arguably came at Old Trafford when the Three Lions needed a draw against Greece, but found themselves 2-1 down. The set-piece specialist stepped up to score a beautiful free-kick in the last minute to secure England's spot in the 2002 World Cup.

The legendary midfielder's redemption was complete during his nation's first clash at the tournament. His penalty against his old foes Argentina gave England a 1-0 victory.