David Beckham is 'Sexiest Man Alive'? Yeah, I guess we can see it

David Beckham has been named People's "Sexiest Man Alive." Gotta admit: We didn't see that coming... but that's only because the recipient of the (yes, very strange) annual honor is usually an actor with a big show or movie out. (2013 winner Adam Levine isn't an actor, but he was on popular The Voice.)

Beckham is a retired soccer player (who, yes, did play a recent match, but that was for charity). He left the sport over two years ago. So... why him? Why now?

Well, probably because his full-time job at the moment is being sexy. 

Just this year, he joined Instagram to share his brand of sexcellence with the world (and tease his son), starting with this sultry shot:

That's how you rake in 15 million + followers.

And he's been attending events not as "star athlete David Beckham," but as the "well-dressed, hunky husband David Beckham" out to support his wife, designer Victoria Beckham.

The former footballer sure looks good on the sidelines.

But being the sexiest more than just being unbelievably good-looking all of the time: Beckham confidently shows his naked, tattooed bod (tattoos = sexiness) in H&M print ads and huge billboards, and even stars in commercials that are only funny given the premise that everyone knows Beckham's sexy. For example, in this 2015 ad (also for H&M-- Beckham has had several collections with the brand) he oozes sexiness while working out, modeling, reading the paper and drinking tea.

He also did a parody commercial, with James Corden, about underwear. Again: The video is funny, because everyone knows the lightly-bearded Beckham is the sexiest man... alive. Yep, we're buying into this now.

More reasons for Beckham to earn the (ridiculous) honor? Um, he's named in a movie title, about being a great soccer player, without ever actually appearing in the movie (he had a lookalike), and now Bend It Like Beckham is a new musical in the West End. That's gotta give him "so hot right now" points. Also: he's charitable, has a British accent and has a trend-setting head of hair. Those also seem like relevant factors for determining the sexiest man currently breathing on Earth.

But perhaps the thing that really has Beckham out-sexying his peers is the fact that he's the patriarch of a (ridiculously attractive) family.