Beckham leaving LA Galaxy after title game

David Beckham made his debut for English Premier League team Manchester United in 1993. By 1996, the midfielder was becoming renowned for his ability to score and create goals with his now legendary right foot. In a match against Wimbledon, Beckham stunned football fans by scoring from the halfway line.

Beckham swiftly progressed into the England team and was part of Glenn Hoddle's squad for the 1998 World Cup in France. In a second-round match against Argentina, Beckham was sent off for kicking out at Diego Simeone. England lost the match on penalties and were eliminated, with Beckham becoming a hate figure for some fans.

Beckham rebuilt his reputation and in 1999 was a key part of the Manchester United team which became the first English club to win the Premier League, FA Cup and European Champions League in the same season. The Old Trafford side, led by Alex Ferguson, secured the treble thanks to a stunning late comeback against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

Beckham's redemption was complete in 2000, when caretaker England manager Peter Taylor made him captain of the national team. He retained the role under Sven-Goran Eriksson, leading England at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and the 2004 European Championships.

In 2003, after a turbulent final few months at United which involved Ferguson accidentally kicking a boot at Beckham, he joined Real Madrid's "Galacticos".

But Beckham's spell in Madrid didn't produce the trophy rush he had hoped for. His sole title came in 2007, under future England manager Fabio Capello, thanks to a win against Real Mallorca on the final day of the season.

Beckham made the switch to Los Angeles Galaxy in the U.S.'s Major League Soccer in 2007. His stated aim was to raise the profile of soccer in the country.

Four years after heading to the States, Beckham finally won the MLS Cup with Galaxy last season. Galaxy beat Houston Dynamo 1-0 in the final thanks to a goal from Landon Donovan.

Off the pitch, Beckham is famous for being one half of one of the world's most high-profile couples. He started dating Victoria Adams of British pop group Spice Girls in 1997. The pair married in 1999 and have four children, son Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz and daughter Harper Seven.

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 Los Angeles Galaxy star David Beckham will be leaving the team after its MLS Cup game December 1, team officials announced Monday.

The famed English midfielder joined the Galaxy in 2007, raising the profile of Major League Soccer in the United States and helped lead the team to the league title in 2011. Monday's announcement comes 10 months after he signed a new two-year contract with the team, turning his back on a number of offers from leading European clubs.

The statement gave no indication where Beckham was headed, but in a statement released by the team, he said he "wanted to experience one last challenge before the end of my playing career."

 

Beckham surprises fans at photo booth
Rogge: Beckham omission 'law of sport' "I don't see this as the end of my relationship with the league as my ambition is to be part of the ownership structure in the future," he added.

Beckham has played six seasons with Los Angeles. The team played in the MLS playoffs four times during his tenure and reached the league title game three times, including the upcoming rematch against the Houston Dynamo.

The 37-year-old had a celebrated career playing for Manchester United and Real Madrid and captained the England national team before coming to America. He sought a spot on the British Olympic football team this year, but failed to make the cut.

He has been a global icon of the sport for years, inspiring the 2002 movie "Bend It Like Beckham." He's also been a hot item off the field as a model and as the husband of former Spice Girls singer and fashionista Victoria Beckham. He is also a UNICEF ambassador.

"When David Beckham signed with the LA Galaxy in 2007, he set out to help grow MLS and the sport of soccer in North America," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in the statement announcing Beckham's departure. "There is no doubt that MLS is far more popular and important here and abroad than it was when he arrived."