English football star David Beckham turned 50 on Friday, but he remains fit and far from out of shape. Over his 21-year football career, he enjoyed an illustrious run and was the epitome of sportsmanship.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star has revealed his fitness regime since retiring from football. He credits padel - a mash-up of tennis and squash -as the secret behind his fitness. Beckham says he plays padel three times a week.

“I play padel three times a week and work out every day—especially when I am in Miami," Beckham told Men’s Health. Padel has become a staple in the Inter Miami president's fitness regime since he hung up his boots in 2013.

Padel was invented in Mexico, and the sport's popularity has soared across the world. It offers a high-intensity workout with constant movement, agility, and endurance-building benefits. According to the LTA, a typical padel session can burn over 400 calories per player.

This was not the first time Beckham showcased his passion for padel. Earlier, he visited Qatar - one of the biggest investors in Premier Padel, the official global professional padel tour governed by the International Padel Federation - before the start of the Qatar Major in 2022. During his visit, he also tried his hand at pickleball.

Beckham, however, is not the only footballer to express a penchant for padel. Lionel Messi and Neymar have also been seen playing and enjoying the sport.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic fell in love with the game so much that he invested in a major court-building company. He helped fund the Padel Zenter chain at multiple sites across Sweden, and his former Manchester United teammate, French star Paul Pogba, flew over to join him on court when the first venue opened.

Earlier, former Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp and ace striker Mohamed Salah were also enthusiastic fans of padel. Among all the footballers, Sergio Agüero is understood to have been the best padel player during his decade at Manchester City.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Zinedine Zidane, and John Terry have also been spotted on the padel courts.

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