CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE:

BECKHAM COMES
TO MLS

After contracting in 2002, Major League Soccer (MLS) was searching for a way to bring fan support and financial stability to the league. Some executives turned to a familiar playbook — bringing a global superstar to the league, hoping fans would follow. It was the strategy behind Pelé’s arrival in New York when he joined the Cosmos of the North American Soccer League in the mid 70s. Some believed it could work again.

In this case, David Beckham was the target. With some shrewd rule changes, and a healthy dose of salesmanship, he was lured to MLS to join the LA Galaxy. With that, everything changed for the league and soccer in America.

Kevin Baxter joined the show to talk about how David Beckham’s arrival in Los Angeles changed the course of soccer in America. He recounts how the global superstar impacted the game on and off the field, and how his influence still looms large today.