To this day, Beckham is criticised within Europe for making his move to the U.S.. Watch his Netflix documentary, and he is still cast in a negative light by some for electing to go to America. Capello famously suggested that playing in MLS would ruin his chances of representing the England national team.
MLS, at the time, was a league well outside the global consciousness while Beckham’s future at Madrid was uncertain. But he was still an excellent footballer who would have had his pick of clubs across Europe. Sure, he would never play for another Premier League side given his ties to Manchester United. But Italy? France? Germany? Those leagues were always possible, and, in the case of the former two, later dabbled in anyway.
One meeting changed everything. In 2006, Tim Leiweke, then-co-owner of the LA Galaxy, told MLS Commissioner Don Garber that Los Angeles was ready to make a big swing and bring in a European name. Beckham, he said, could be not only the main man for the Galaxy, but also the face of the league. There would be technicalities, but Garber was sold.
What wasn’t clear immediately, though, was which club Beckham would join. With that in mind, Garber flew to Madrid with Leiweke and another league executive to pitch a plan: Beckham would be the face of their league and they would find ways to make him good money.
It always felt like it had to be Los Angeles, not least because of Beckham’s celebrity lifestyle and the fact that his wife, Victoria, was arguably more famous than he was. Garber, Beckham, and Victoria met for dinner and the vision was laid out. Beckham, aged 31, was sold easily enough.
Beckham had always carried a trendsetter’s streak. MLS insisted, too, that his contract and commercial values would total over $250 million. That figure was likely excessive, but the point was that this was a change of pace for someone perhaps growing jaded with the European football scene.
Beckham insistedd that the move was by no means a hint at retirement, though: “I’m coming there not to be a superstar. I’m coming there to be part of the team, to work hard, and to hopefully win things. With me, it’s about football. I’m coming there to make a difference. I’m coming there to play football.”
That was January 2007, and everything was wrapped up. Upon the expiration of his Madrid contract, Becks would leave.
