In twelve years at Sports Illustrated, senior writer Grant Wahl has written thirty-one cover stories and more than two hundred articles while covering five World Cups, three Olympics, and twelve NCAA basketball tournaments. Wahl has won four Magazine Story of the Year awards given by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He lives in Baltimore with his wife, Céline.

Two years after David Beckham became the U.S. soccer savior, he’ll leave in disgrace. Grant Wahl on how Tom Cruise and Will Smith got Becks started on the wrong foot. Plus, view our gallery of Posh and Becks in America.