A photographic portrait of David Beckham in the Royal Academy been defaced and the words "You loosers" scribbled over it in red felt pen.
The 5ft-high photo is part of an exhibition of pictures of the world's greatest living footballers.
The spelling of "loosers" may be a reference to Rebecca Loos, the woman who claimed she had an affair with the England captain.
The words "Beckham and Meier, you loosers" were also scrawled on a wall opposite a portrait of Pele.
This was an apparent reference to the Swiss referee Urs Meier, who was in charge of England's Euro 2004 quarter-final tie against Portugal.
England lost the game on penalties after Meier disallowed a last-minute goal by defender Sol Campbell.
The Beckham portrait, worth £7,500, was one of the most popular in the FIFA 100 exhibition, which was designed to celebrate the centenary of world football's governing body.
It showed a T-shirted Beckham, 29, standing in a hotel corridor holding a football.
The shot was taken earlier this year by Scandinavian Mark Hom, a leading portrait photographer.
The curator of the exhibition, David Grob, said: "The picture is a write off. We will have to get another one printed."
The 5ft-high photo is part of an exhibition of pictures of the world's greatest living footballers.
The spelling of "loosers" may be a reference to Rebecca Loos, the woman who claimed she had an affair with the England captain.
The words "Beckham and Meier, you loosers" were also scrawled on a wall opposite a portrait of Pele.
This was an apparent reference to the Swiss referee Urs Meier, who was in charge of England's Euro 2004 quarter-final tie against Portugal.
England lost the game on penalties after Meier disallowed a last-minute goal by defender Sol Campbell.
The Beckham portrait, worth £7,500, was one of the most popular in the FIFA 100 exhibition, which was designed to celebrate the centenary of world football's governing body.
It showed a T-shirted Beckham, 29, standing in a hotel corridor holding a football.
The shot was taken earlier this year by Scandinavian Mark Hom, a leading portrait photographer.
The curator of the exhibition, David Grob, said: "The picture is a write off. We will have to get another one printed."
