David Beckham: Is playing in the U.S. even a possibility?

I’m sure most who follow football (or as most people in North America will call it…soccer) know by now that David Beckham has recently said that he would like to finish his career in the United States, probably playing in the MLS.  After yet another disappointing World Cup, Chelsea’s John Terry (who looks much older than his 26 years…but that’s another story) replaced Becks as England’s captain and Beckham was dropped from not only from England’s national team roster but the starting lineup of Real Madrid.  While at 31, he is in the twilight of his career.  David Beckham remains easily the most recognizable face in football today and his celebrated career includes The Treble, which is the year that Manchester United won the FA Cup, the Premiership and also the UEFA Champions League.   Beckham’s contract with the Galacticos expires in June and must be renewed by January.  Reports are that he actually was offered an extention but a player like Beckham probably would not want to sit on the bench for another two years. 

Now initially there were rumors that he would return to the Premiership but with Arsenal pulling out of the race and Manchester United not interested, chances are slim.  A move to the United States could bring the MLS some much needed publicity.  However, it is even possible? 

Beckham was transferred from Manchester United to Real Madrid for 24.5 million GBP (~$47M USD) and his contract pays him about 8 million a year.  This is much, much more than any player in the MLS.  In fact, the average salary of entire teams is much lower than that.  With a salary cap in place, there would be little chance of signing a big name like Beckham.  However, reports are that the MLS will specify certain rule changes soon to coincide with the league’s growth.

At 31, Becks is an old man in the world of soccer where superstars like Wayne Rooney, Robinho, and Christiano Ronaldo are in their early 20’s.  Heck, Lionel Messi is only 19.  At 31, Beckham joins the likes of Roberto Carlos, Francesco Totti, Ronaldo and Zidane, who are world class players but a little too old to still be first string.  Zidane recently re-retired after his last appearance at the FIFA World Cup this past summer.

So the MLS has these things to weigh.  While Beckham’s celebrity would most certainly bring many benefits, any team still in the hunt would also have to consider his huge salary and inevitably huge transfer fee.  While Beckham is probably not one of the best players in the world anymore, he is certainly up to par with those in the MLS, who, while very talented, are dwarfed by the outstanding players in Europe.  The MLS, save for perhaps Landon Donovan, lacks stars and therefore, marketability so bringing Beckham over would open up not only new endorsements but also set preceedent to make the MLS more attractive to talented players from all over the world, which might be what it takes for North America to finally pay attention to the world’s most popular sport.

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