VIDEO: David Beckham shocked as crowd boos England legend for World Cup final prediction

In a rare moment of tension for one of football’s most popular figures, Beckham was jeered by fans at the Fanatics Fest in New York. Speaking about the dilemma of choosing between the two finalists, the 51-year-old expressed his deep-rooted connections to both sides. Beckham spent several successful years in La Liga with Real Madrid and has developed a close personal and professional bond with Argentina’s talisman, Lionel Messi, since bringing him to MLS.

"I'm going to sit on the fence. I don't know who's going to win. I want Lionel to do incredibly well because he's an exceptional person and player. But Spain are going to be tough to play against. I'm not going to say who I think is going to win. I'm just going to sit on the fence and enjoy the game," Beckham said.

Taking the reaction in his stride, Beckham laughed off the heckling before acknowledging how unusual it felt to be the target of such criticism. Beckham's reply didn't go well with the audience as they wanted to hear a team's name from him. "I haven’t been booed for a while. I wasn’t expecting it here," Beckham said.

"I played in Spain, so I have a huge affection for Spain as a country and obviously for their football team. I think they’ve done an exceptional job this World Cup and they deserve to be in the final," Beckham explained.

“With Argentina, they have Lionel. He’s an exceptional player, an exceptional person with the right values, and he treats everyone the way they should be treated."

The legend’s neutrality comes shortly after he was seen experiencing the raw emotions of England's tournament exit at the hands of Argentina. Viral footage showed Beckham looking devastated in the stands, hanging his head and appearing to fight back tears as the Three Lions fell short in the semi-final.

Despite the pain of the defeat, he remained professional and supportive of the national team’s efforts on social media. Writing to his millions of followers on Instagram, Beckham shared his feelings on the journey, stating: "Heartbreak for us all but memories that inspire and last forever… Thank you to our team, our fans & our country for what you have given us in this World Cup.