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David Beckham is one of Britain's most iconic athletes whose name is
also an elite global advertising brand. He was captain of the English national team from 2000 to 2006, scored in three different FIFA World
Cups, and played midfield for clubs in Manchester, England and Madrid, Spain, before agreeing to move to Los Angeles, to play for Los Angeles
Galaxy team on a five year contract beginning on July 1, 2007.
He signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid, beginning on July 1,
2003, and worth a potential 40 million dollars. In Madrid, Beckham was
not allowed to wear his favorite number seven, because another player
had the right to wear it written into his contract. Beckham decided to
wear the number 23 instead, being a big fan of Michael Jordan.
He immediately became popular with the Real Madrid fans, but the team
did not perform well enough to win either the Spanish League or the
Champions League. However, Beckham remained a reliable scorer and his
performances attracted more public. His shirts sales and other
merchandising deals remained lucrative for the club, which continued to
under-perform, regardless of the Real's management's higher
expectations.
In June 2007 Beckham played his final game for Real Madrid, winning a
medal and celebrating with his friends Tom and Katie Cruse, who
attended the game. This was his fourth, and last season there, ending
his contract with the club. He announced that he had signed a five-year
contract to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy from July 1, 2007 through
June 2012. The 5-year deal includes up to $10 million a year in direct
salary, and with merchandising endorsements and profit-sharing could
earn Beckham up to $50 million a year, and may end up worth about $250
million in five years, making him one of the highest earning athletes
of all time.
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