Not much more of a depressing sight is there, a grown man sitting on the ground crying over broken dreams and the real prospect of premature retirement. He even had a cut under his eye.
David Beckham won't become the first English player to appear at four World Cups, and as much as his injury is probably down to plain bad luck, he did himself no favours by signing up for a schedule of non-stop competitive football over the last two years. Moving to LA Galaxy meant Beckham would always have to take a loan in Europe in order to prove himself worthy of an England place. In short he made a decision that's ruined what could have been the crowning glory of an incredible career.
Beckham moved to LA for a few reasons; money, PR, merchandise and (a very distant last) a feeling that he was out of the England picture for good. He must have known he would be back in the squad as soon as he'd scored his first free kick against Chivas or Red Bull Jazz. If he was just looking for a comfortable, slower league, he should've gone to Serie A. It ain't that different to the MLS.
Inevitably, the lure of playing for another of the world's greatest clubs took its toll and he found himself playing 6 months at Milan followed by 6 months at Galaxy. Ridiculous. For someone who takes their fitness so seriously, and has suffered injuries at the last two World Cups, why at 34 would you push your body to the limit and not give yourself any time off? Hardly leaves your achilles tendons in the best possible shape.
It's still bloody hard luck, and the three sides Beckham represents will miss him. But it cannot be disputed that he made this situation a far greater probability through a far-too-heavy workload. Why didn't he just stay at Milan? Because he made a load of speeches about helping Americans embrace football, and wasn't prepared to admit he had made a mistake.
The sad truth is that, unlike 2002, Beckham's errors will hurt him far more than it will the national side.
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