Lionel Scaloni and David Beckham, the story behind a pure football photo

Last Friday, Lionel Scaloni, coach of the Argentine National Team, was invited to watch Inter Miami C’s 4-0 win over Charlotte FC in the Leagues Cup 2023 Quarterfinals at DRV PNK Stadium. In addition to watching Lionel Messi's game, the Argentine coach was received by David Beckham, one of the owners of Inter Miami, and the two buried a two-decade-long dispute.

Back in 2003, when both were still playing professionally; Beckham with Real Madrid and Scaloni with Deportivo La Coruña. During the match, the the wound up in each others’ faces following a dispute and had to be separated by teammates.

Deportivo La Coroña was visiting Santiago Bernabéu, and the teams were in the middle of a tightly contested fight, one Real Madrid would eventually win, 2-1. During the match Scaloni was bringing the ball down the wing, felt himself being clipped by Beckham, and went to the ground to earn a free kick.

But fell to the ground but by the time they got back up, things were heated as the two got into each other’s faces.. Scaloni was furious about the play. Roberto Carlos, who is just 1.68 meters tall, tried to separate the two players who were over 1.80 meters tall, but it was pointless.

Eventually the referee was able to separate the two, show each a yellow card and things calmed down. The match had ended, but the two players would be forever connected by that heated exchange.

Twenty years later, the two came together in a much different tone. There’s wasn’t the intensity of two players playing each other in a match. It was just two former champions coming together to watch Lionel Messi. A world champion coach coming to see the captain of his national team with his family and enjoying the match.