Beckham Plays Football With Doha Students for Health

When David Beckham showed up at The First Assalam School and Sherborne Qatar, he didn't watch from the sidelines. He came to play.

The football legend spent a winter morning playing with students aged 10 to 12, first joining the boys on the pitch, then stepping right back out to play with the girls. He brought the same energy and encouragement to both games.

"I used to be a football player," Beckham joked as he introduced himself, before casually mentioning his time at Manchester United, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and captaining England. The kids needed no introduction.

Before the games began, Beckham chatted with students about what they had learned in their health program. "Mental health," one student answered matter-of-factly, opening a conversation about eating well, drinking water, and getting enough sleep.

Sleep became the favorite topic. When asked about bedtime, students said nine o'clock, prompting Beckham to laugh and admit even his own kids struggle with lights out.

The Ripple Effect

The visit celebrated the Healthy Cities Schools Programme, a partnership between Qatar's Ministry of Public Health and the Generation Amazing Foundation. The program uses football to help students build healthier habits.

"We've been working on this initiative since the World Cup," said Nasser Al-Khori, Executive Director of Generation Amazing Foundation. Six health challenges affecting schoolchildren were identified, and football-based activities were built around each one.

Around 30 teachers have been trained to deliver the programme in their schools. "They're our ambassadors within their schools and communities," Al-Khori explained.

Bringing Beckham into the mix adds something special. "A lot of young people look up to David as a role model," Al-Khori said, noting that hearing about the challenges Beckham faced and how he overcame them matters to kids.

But what stood out most was Beckham's genuine interest. "He asks about their lives, their school," Al-Khori said. "That creates a different kind of energy."

For a couple of hours in Doha, it wasn't about trophies or fame but about the simple joy of having a legend join your game and creating stories students will tell for years.