The recent FIFA World Cup is surprising soccer fans with its match results. Legendary NHL Wayne Gretzky is also a soccer follower who loves watching the World Cup with his family. His love for soccer, especially David Beckham, dates long back to when he went to see him in the United States at a match.

Wayne Gretzky is one of the greatest ice hockey players in the world. Famously called “The Great One”, Wayne has appeared in 20 seasons of the NHL. Following that, his name was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999.

Wayne Gretzky once shared anecdotes related to his football fondness

In 2015, Wayne went to London with his son to watch a nail-biting match between Tottenham Hostpur F.C and Arsenal. It was his first time in Europe to watch a soccer match.

Wayne recalled a few anecdotes that indicated his love for football. The hockey legend talked to NBC Sports sharing the joy he feels while watching World Cup matches. He stated:

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“We enjoy it as a family, and I love watching the World Cup. That is my favorite time to watch soccer. This is my first match ever in Europe. I went to one match (in the U.S.) seven or eight years ago, I had to go and see [David] Beckham play. I went to an LA Galaxy game but this is my first game involving Premier League teams. So I’m really excited.”

Gretzky revealed that he started watching football in the days of Pele. He claimed not knowing much about the game but enjoyed watching players like Pele and David Beckham. Gretzky also talked about football becoming more popular after Beckham joined the North American teams.

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He was very proud of the success US women’s team as well. The hockey player felt their success had made the image of football better. He appreciated players like Mia Hamm for elevating women’s football in the country.

Gretzky compared himself with David Beckham.

In the interview with NBC Sports, Gretzky was asked if he ever compared himself with Beckham. He shared an interesting comparison that he once made when he went to see Beckham at a match in LA. He was startled to see the football player’s style of passing the ball. It made him think if he had ever passed the ball in hockey when he used to play.

Gretzky also finds Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as his favorites. He often tunes in to Premier League matches and enjoys watching them with his family.

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