‘Galactico’ to the Galaxy: How Brand Beckham conquered the US

Major League Soccer recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary. But did the league’s most pivotal landmark take place 10 years ago, on January 11, 2007?

That was the date David Beckham surprised the footballing world by announcing that, at the end of that season, he would leave Spanish giants Real Madrid for MLS side LA Galaxy, in a five-year deal reportedly worth $250 million.

“Soccer is huge all around the world except in America and that’s where I want to make a difference,” said Beckham at the time.

“Soccer in America is the biggest played sport up to a certain age. That’s where I want to take it, to another level. I think potentially it can go higher in America than anyone can believe.”

‘Transcending’ sport

So has that proven to be the case? It’s hard to deny Beckham’s impact on the Galaxy itself, as the team won two MLS Cups, with coverage across international media befitting a superstar of Beckham’s undoubted status.

As for the midfielder, he contributed 18 goals and 40 assists in 98 games.

Off the field, aside from taking Brand Beckham to LA, alongside his wife, Victoria, he helped grow the league from a business perspective, as without the presence of the England international in America, MLS would surely not have taken off at the pace witnessed over recent years.

His wife famously called him "Golden Balls" -- and David Beckham has the Midas Touch both on and off the football pitch.

Now turning into something of a senior statesman since hanging up his boots in 2013, the boy from east London turned 40 on May 2, 2015.

Here he is pictured with two of the people responsible for helping him become a global phenomenon, transcending his status as a football star: his wife Victoria (right) and "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller (left).

When he started out as a youth player at Manchester United, there was little indication Beckham would be a fashion icon around the world.

There were the haircuts, such as this corn-row style sported while representing England in 2003.

After leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid in 2003, his follicles were regularly the focus of media attention. Here a shaven-headed Beckham promotes his first official training skills DVD -- "Really Bend It Like Beckham," a title referring to the 2002 British film starring a young Keira Knightley as an aspiring footballer.

Although Beckham's life is under constant media scrutiny, sometimes he likes to tease -- here hiding his new hairstyle during a training session in Madrid.

Two days later his new blond look was unveiled during Real's match against Athletic Bilbao, with the big-spending club winning the Spanish league title in Beckham's final season there.

Having moved to American club Los Angeles Galaxy later in 2007, David Beckham sported this variant on his earlier mohawk look.

Like father, like son: the Beckhams' third offspring Cruz with his dad at an NBA game in LA in 2009.

While still an LA player, Beckham made two loan moves back to Europe with Italian club AC Milan during Major League Soccer's offseason.

Beckham's sculpted body is heavily tattooed. This is a closeup of his hand taken during the "United for Wildlife" conservation campaign launch in 2014.

The previous year, Beckham showed this tattoo to fans in Beijing, having been named an international ambassador by the China Football Association. It reportedly says, "Death and life have determined appointments. Riches and honor depend upon heaven."

This Gothic winged cross on his neck, unveiled ahead of the 2004 European Championships, is just above the name of his first son Brooklyn.

All four children feature on his skin -- and on his boots -- while Victoria's name is inked in Sanskrit on his left forearm.

Victoria, formerly one of the all-conquering Spice Girls pop group, is credited with transforming Beckham from a floppy-haired footballer into a fashion designer's dream.

From wobbly-voiced pouting singer, the former "Posh Spice" has become a respected award-winning designer, even guest editing for the French version of Vogue in December 2013.

His many underwear adverts have earned him a following among men and women alike.

In 1998, Beckham was widely mocked for wearing a sarong -- but his "metrosexual" look was at the forefront of a new sensitive male image emerging from the lager-fueled UK "Lad culture" of that decade.

"Posh and Becks" regularly mix with Hollywood glitterati. They are seen here arriving in Italy for the 2006 wedding between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Beckham is reportedly flying Cruise and other friends to Morocco for his 40th birthday party.

In 2011, they attended the British royal wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton.

Beckham's children have grown up in the media glare surrounding him -- here he is pictured with sons (L-R) Cruz, Brooklyn and Romeo Beckham during a diving event at the 2012 London Olympics.

Daughter Harper, born in 2011, attended a presentation of her mom's work at the New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter shows in February 2014.

Here the family attend the press night of "Viva Forever," a musical based on the career of the Spice Girls, in December 2012.

Beckham also took his boys to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they attended the final between Germany and Argentina at the Maracana Stadium.

The Beckhams have been a picture of family unity since weathering the media storm of 2004, when it was widely reported that David had an affair with his PA Rebecca Loos, who in the aftermath created her own career as a minor reality TV celebrity. The footballer vigorously denied claims of any infidelity.

Here Ted Beckham watches his son playing the final game of his top-level career, for Paris Saint-Germain in May 2013. Beckham joined the French club on a five-month deal after leaving the U.S. and donated his reported $4.3 million salary to a children's charity.

While his father's love of Manchester United inspired Beckham's early career, his mother Sandra's vocation -- hairdressing -- may have had a large influence in his appearance. Here she is pictured with Beckham's sister Joanne during the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Beckham's most glorious achievement at Manchester United came when the club won a treble of trophies in 1999, capped by a last-gasp win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. United came from behind to triumph 2-1, with both goals scored in stoppage time and resulting from Beckham's corners.

Alex Ferguson brought Beckham into United's first team as part of the now venerated "Class of '92" youth side. They won six Premier League titles together but their relationship deteriorated as Beckham's celebrity persona blossomed -- and the Scottish manager's infamous kicking of a boot into the player's head in the Old Trafford dressing-room after an FA Cup defeat in 2003 precipitated his move to Real Madrid.

Beckham won his first international cap in 1996 at the age of 21, in a World Cup qualifying match against Moldova.

He was selected for the 1998 World Cup but was vilified back home after being sent off for petulantly kicking out at Argentina captain Diego Simeone as England painfully exited in the second round following a penalty shootout.

As well as facing vitriol over the World Cup debacle, the seemingly effeminate Beckham was an easy target for fans at rival Premier League clubs. Here he blows a kiss to Chelsea supporters during United's run to winning the FA Cup in '99.

Beckham received his 100th cap from Manchester United legend Bobby Charlton in 2008 and the midfielder went on to play 115 times at the top level -- the most by any English outfield player and second only behind goalkeeper Peter Shilton's 125 internationals.

Beckham's shock move to America helped grow the nascent MLS and boost soccer's image in a country where it was previously a minority sport. He sold a reported 300,000 replica shirts each season of his half-decade stay in LA, winning two MLS Cup titles.

However, Beckham had to win over LA fans after his deal was said to be worth $250 million -- which later turned out to be a publicity stunt by his agents: his contract was actually for $32.5M plus add-ons. Galaxy fans were also angered by reports Beckham was seeking a permanent move to Milan, where he suffered an Achilles injury that ruled him out of the 2010 World Cup and much of that MLS season.

Beckham's move to Qatar-owned PSG gave him kudos in the Middle East. He presented the winner's trophy to tennis player David Ferrer at the 2015 Qatar Open in Doha.

He has reportedly sought help from PSG's owners in funding his new Miami MLS franchise, which has been beset by stadium delays since it was announced in February 2014. Beckham had a clause in his Galaxy contract giving him the right to buy a new team for $25 million once he'd stopped playing.

Among his charity projects, Beckham is a UNICEF ambasador. Here he plays with Filipino children who survived Typhoon Haiyan, which killed over 6,000 people in late 2013 and devastated large areas of Southeast Asia.

Beckham launched his own soccer academy in 2005, with bases in London and Los Angeles. Both closed within five years during the global economic crisis.

Beckham is now firmly established among the world's most powerful figures -- here he and former French president Nicolas Sarkozy watch PSG play in a Champions League match in February 2015.

In 2005, he helped London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympics. Here he is pictured with then British Prime Minister Tony Blair (L) and his wife Cherie Blair.

Beckham played a high-profile role in London's opening ceremony, driving a speedboat carrying the Olympic torch under Tower Bridge and down to the Stratford host venue near where he grew up.

Beckham was less successful as a member of England's bid team for the 2018 World Cup. He is pictured here with fellow ambassadors Prince William and UK Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010 ahead of the controversial vote in which Russia won the right to stage soccer's showpiece event.

Beckham now promotes a niche single-grain whiskey and is the face of the Las Vegas Sands chain, which runs casinos in Singapore and Macau among its resort ventures.

So what's next for Becks?

David Beckham: Happy 40th birthday, 'Golden Balls'

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Transcending sport

His former teammate at the Galaxy, U.S. international Cobi Jones, concurs, telling CNN: “I thought it would be good for the MLS and draw more fans. And at that time, everyone has to remember, we were trying to increase the viewership and have everybody see the game and hopefully tap into those people and turn them into long-term fans.”

As for that reportedly astronomical amount of $250 million, the then-general manager of the Galaxy, Alexi Lalas, justified the outlay when speaking to CNN, putting it down to the way “David Beckham can transcend the sport.

“People ask me today, ‘who would approximate that type of signing?’” says Lalas, who is now a Fox Sports analyst. “I still can’t come up with anybody who checks all of those boxes … so it was the perfect timing and the perfect person to use this on.

“He came in, and not just soccer people were interested, it was everybody because of the level of celebrity that he had.”

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A career in numbers

The numbers in a pre- and post-Beckham world in MLS would seem to back up Lalas’ argument. MLS only had 13 teams in 2007, whereas the 2017 season will feature 22 clubs with the addition of Atlanta and Minnesota.

Likewise in 2007, MLS had 250 players, while the 2017 season will include 615.

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When it comes to average salaries, that’s been on the up as well: If not approaching Beckham-type figures, the average pay packet in 2016 was just over $316,000, which is a more than healthy increase on the $114,000 average from 2006 (for what it’s worth, Beckham was paid $6,500,000 back then).

Ten years ago, the average attendance was 16,770, but by 2016, it rose to 21,692, which is higher than the top flight of French football.

MLS is projecting that the 2017 average attendance will eclipse 22,000, which could put MLS ahead of Italy’s Serie A, if still some way behind leagues in England, Spain and Germany.

‘The hurricane’

For Lalas, it was not all plain sailing, as demonstrated by the former US defender losing his job not long after the ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar left Europe for America.

Even so Lalas still retains fond memories of their time together.

“There’s nothing that prepares you for the hurricane that is David Beckham,” Lalas explains. “When I say David Beckham, its not just David Beckham the person, it is the machine that comes into play.

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“There are different challenges on the field, that when you put not just an incredible player and a very famous soccer player into that locker room and that organization, but one of the most famous people on Earth into the organization, and all of the different challenges that come on and off the field.

“So I was learning, everybody was learning. Ultimately, I may have gotten fired for not being able to get that product on the field, but I’m happy that Bruce Arena came in to coach and was able to get the product on the field right.

“The monetization off the field continued to be part of the success story that was David Beckham. And not just for the LA Galaxy, but the league in general, and soccer in the United States.”

Meanwhile Beckham also had to put up with the brickbats that came his way, by battling injuries and criticism about his loan moves back to Europe to play for AC Milan.

Comments at the time called into question Beckham’s commitment to MLS, but Lalas isn’t willing to accept that, pointing out that the feeling of frustration existed on both sides.

Beckham celebrates winning the MLS Cup with the Galaxy in 2012.

“We knew at times he was going to get frustrated with things on the field and off the field,” Lalas states. “But this was also a challenge to him, to come to a big and potentially prosperous market for him and his brand, and to use those opportunities.

“In order to get that type of understanding and partnership, it took a number of years … But ultimately, the Galaxy came out a better organization because they figured out how to be the Galaxy first and have David Beckham be a part of the Galaxy, as opposed to being just about David Beckham.”

For his part, Jones describes his one-time teammate as, “a down to earth guy,” and recalls that “he handled himself extremely well, just holding back and not responding to the criticism from other players and from journalists and the people writing stories about him.

“He took it all in stride and made it is his goal to prove people wrong.”

David Beckham: The brand

MIAMI, FL - FEBRUARY 05: Commissioner Don Garber, David Beckham and Mayor Carlos Gimenez attends a press conference to announce their plans to launch a new Major League Soccer franchise at PAMM Art Museum on February 5, 2014 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Aaron Davidson/Getty Images)

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Perhaps Beckham’s canniest MLS move came in 2014, when the league announced he had exercised his option to buy a MLS expansion team for $25 million, which Beckham received as part of the contract he signed with the Galaxy.

That could prove quite the bargain, given as Lalas says “if someone were to buy an MLS team right now, we’re talking the $150 million to $200 million range.”

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And while there remains uncertainty over the location for a stadium for the Miami team, both Lalas and Jones are in no doubt that Beckham will be a successful owner.

“If that ultimately happens, I think it will be wonderful for the league,” says Lalas, whereas Jones believes “anytime you see a former player get into ownership, you are hoping and dreaming that it’s a success.

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“You want them to do well, you want them to succeed. Let’s be honest, with David, a lot of it is his name, but while others are running it, I’m sure he will have his opinion on the way things should be going.

“And if he’s going to be doing it in the Miami area, I think that would be special.”

Brand it like Beckham indeed.