14 years ago Beckham arrived in Major League Soccer
Over a decade ago, the England superstar arrived to the Los Angeles Galaxy and his signing changed the perception of Major League Soccer.
On 12 January 2007, David Beckham decided to leave Real Madrid to sign with the Los Angeles Galaxy at 31 years of age. The decision surprised the football world, since he was still at his prime and was leaving one of the biggest and most prestigious clubs of the world to play in Major League Soccer.
Multi-million dollar deal
David Beckham won it all with Manchester United and Real Madrid, so coming so young to a league that was still developing, shocked many fans, but his contribution to MLS changed the league for good.
Thanks to Beckham, players like Steven Gerrard, Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard, David Villa and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have played in MLS. Even Lionel Messi has said that he wants to play in MLS and live in the United States before he retires. The former England captain signed the first major contract in the history of Major League Soccer and after five years at the club he earned 255 million dollars.
Each season, David Beckham was earning $6.3 million and in his contract it was established that he would receive a percentage of the teams revenue that brought an extra $50 million over five seasons. During his time in MLS, David Beckham was ranked No 8 in Forbes world’s highest paid athletes.
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Trophies in MLS
Beckham arrived in the United States with an ambition to change the mentality of fans and players who were sceptical in coming to MLS and continue their careers. During his five year in the league, David Beckham won the Supporters’ Shield in 2009/10 and 2011/12 season.
He also won the MLS Cup twice in 2010/11 and 2011/12 season with the LA Galaxy. He helped the team become the first club in the league to win five championships at that time. Now he keeps contributing to the leagues growth and he is the co-owner of Inter Miami CF.