London, Jan 31: Soccer ace David Beckham has been been crowned "The Sexiest Man on the Planet 2012".

The 36-year-old has been awarded the title in heat magazine's inaugural 101 Hottest Hunks in the World list 2012.

Beckham beats a host of actors to the top spot including, Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds and Bradley Cooper, who came second, third and fourth respectively.

"heat is known for showcasing the hottest celebrity men each week, but this is the first time we've compiled a definitive list of the sexiest men in the world. Our readers and panel of experts clearly have impeccable taste as there is genuinely no one more deserving of the title Sexiest Man on the Planet 2012 than David Beckham...." contactmusic.com quoted heat editor Lucie Cave as saying.

Other stars who made it to the top 10 list includes Robert Pattinson, Tom Hardy, Johnny Depp and Zac Efron.

Each one of them was judged on the basis of their talent, sex appeal, dress sense, and personality.