Soccer superstar David Beckham has lodged an appeal to overturn a judge's decision to dismiss a libel lawsuit against magazine editors who published allegations he cheated on his wife Victoria with a hooker.

In February, Beckham was dealt a blow as his $24.8 million suit over an In Touch article detailing prostitute Irma Nici's claims she bedded the star in 2007 was thrown out by U.S. District Judge Manuel Real. He ruled that Beckham's legal team had failed to produce evidence editors published the story with malice.

But the sportsman is refusing to give up his battle - his lawyers filed appeal papers at the United States District Court, Central District Of California on Thursday, according to Britain's Daily Mail.

The publication reports Beckham's attorneys will highlight the alleged criminal past of Nici in a bid to demonstrate how the magazine behaved with malice. He will also reportedly insist he was not given sufficient time to prove the claims were false before the article went to press.

A spokesperson for the star, who is expecting his fourth child with his fashion designer wife, says, "David is appealing... and is confident justice will prevail."