It has been exactly 11 years since David Beckham last put on an LA Galaxy shirt. On December 1, 2012, Beckham played his last competitive game for the Galaxy, adding a 2nd MLS Cup triumph to his already unrivaled legacy in American soccer after a 3-1 win against the Houston Dynamo.
Beckham revolutionized MLS to its core through his five and a half seasons, forcing changes with the Designated Player rule and pushing the league out of its archaic view of the sport, paving the way for a modernized take on how soccer should work in the country.
When LA Galaxy signed Beckham in 2007, the league counted with just 13 teams. Fast-forward 16 years: the MLS currently has 29 teams and with plans to plans to add its 30th franchise when the San Diego FC joins the league in 2025. One of the newest additions in the past 5 years was Beckham's Inter Miami, a team he owns thanks to a deal he signed while agreeing to his LA Galaxy contract in 2007, which would see him pay $25 million for an MLS franchise upon retirement. As contrast, the new San Diego franchise reportedly paid $500 million to secure a place in the U.S. prime soccer division.
As a player, celebrity and even as an owner, David Beckham changed the landscape of American soccer forever. Ever since he put on that LA Galaxy jersey for one last time, the MLS has tried to emulate the commercial and sporting success that the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star had the moment he arrived to Los Angeles.
Beckham also opened the door to other world-class players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard, who have graced American soccer fans around MLS grounds. Here's a look at some Latino stars who could "Becks'" status in MLS lore.
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Arguably one of the very few players in the whole world who could ever eclipse Beckham's importance in MLS history. Messi's arrival was something no one was prepared for, not even Beckham himself. The Inter Miami owner saw his team's attendance go 36% up compared to the previous season after signing the World Cup champion. Streaming services also saw an astronomical number of new subscribers, with streaming measurement firm Antenna reporting that about 110,075 people signed up for the MLS Season Pass, a 280% increase from the number of subscribers on opening day of the 2023 season.
Anne Peterson from the Associated Press also reported that Messi's No.10 jersey became the best-selling jersey in league history. Such was his impact and Messi's popularity that his Inter Miami shirt outsold every other jersey sold on the league's website within just 45 minutes of its release.
Messi also had an immediate impact on the pitch, leading Inter Miami its first-ever trophy when they defeated Nashville in the League Cups final. Since making his debut against Liga MX team Cruz Azul, Messi scored in every game during his team's Leagues Cup run. He finished his 1st season in American soccer with 11 goals and 5 assists in just 14 games.
Carlos Vela (Mexico)
The Mexican winger arrived to LAFC, the newest team in the city of Los Angeles, after an illustrious six-year stint at Real Sociedad. Vela brought all the flair and talents he showed during his time in Spain and England and took the league by storm.
His second season was record-breaking: he won the MLS MVP Award in 2019 as well as the MLS Golden Boot after scoring 34 goals in just 31 games (MLS record).
He eventually delivered a long-waited MLS Cup triumph for LAFC in 2022 after a penalty shoot-out against Philadelphia Union. Ever since arriving to MLS, Vela has been one of the faces of the league.
Since 2018 Vela's No.10 shirt has ranked top-5 of most jersey sales in the MLS Store. He was top of the list in 2020 outselling fellow Mexican international Javier "Chicharito" Hernández.
Javier "Chicharito" Hernández (Mexico)
The signing of Javier "Chicharito" Hernández might not have been the most successful in LA Galaxy's history, but it definitely put the team back on the conversation. Mexico's all-time goal scorer became the most expensive signing in club history after it agreed to pay around $9.5 million to Spanish team Sevilla for his services.
The 2-time MLS All-Star led the Galaxy in scoring in two of his four seasons at the club. Overall he has scored 39 goals in 83 games.
However, a dark spot is the fact that LA Galaxy only reached the MLS Cup playoffs once during Hernández' stint with the club and had only one top-10 finish (8th place in Western Conf. in 2022).
Even when the results on the pitch weren't the best, "Chicharito" kept on delivering on the commercial side of the business. During his 4 years in MLS, his jersey ranked among the top-5 best-selling jerseys in the MLS store between 2020-22.
Carlos Valderrama (Colombia)
Named the first MVP in league history, it is fair to say Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama was one of the pioneers of the country's soccer rush after hosting the 1994 Men's World Cup. One of the most technically gifted midfielders of his generation, Valderrama spent 7 years of his professional career playing in the MLS, wearing the jerseys of Tampa Bay, Miami and Colorado. He still holds the MLS record for most assists in a single season, with 20 dimes with Tampa Bay during the 1996 season.
During an interview with the league's FutbolMLS.com in 2011, Valderrama shared how important those first steps were to pave the way for players like Beckham and now Messi to keep on nurturing and growing the sport in the United States. "What we wanted was for soccer to finally catch on...its happening and it continues to grow. There are teams with their own stadiums, and that clearly shows that we achieved what we wanted," Valderrama added.
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