Messi Mania swings through Los Angeles on Sunday night, the city where David Beckham’s leap of faith on a barely profitable league nearly two decades ago made all of it possibleOn Sunday night, Messi Mania makes its next stop when Inter Miami visit LAFC at BMO Stadium and the latest chapter of the great American soccer superstar experiment comes full circle in Los Angeles.In many ways, the latest away scene on Leo’s Magical Mystery (and Soccer Mythmaking) Tour is nothing new: an urban metropolis galvanized for a breathless, priceless night (see: Philadelphia, Nashville, and New York, er, Harrison, New Jersey, in recent weeks). Apple and Adidas marketing teams smiling once more, and over again. Continue reading...
There is no more elegant pivot than moaning about the World Cup in Qatar to begging a Gulf state to come and buy your club“When I want a peerage,” sniffed Alfred Harmsworth (later Lord Northcliffe), “I shall buy one like an honest man.” So yes: I want to begin with an apology for a ridiculous statement in my most recent column, which held that David Beckham’s mega-lucrative Qatar promotional deal meant he has been “wearing the face of a man who knows he is never going to get his knighthood now”. This was obviously wrong. Having been paid a reported £150m for his work shilling for the Qatari regime, David is in fact even better placed to buy a knighthood...
Bricks and mortar hold some fascination for fans and offer sentimental appeal but for real insight into what inspired the greats we need to look a little deeperIt is, the estate agency promises, a “beautifully presented red brick semi-detached property with excellent standard of decor throughout”. It goes on to list all of the property’s many selling points, which include its “four well-proportioned bedrooms”, a “magnificent white marble carved fireplace”, “superb views” and, more unusually, its “enclosed private garden with paved pathways, built-in barbecue and floodlit artificial putting green installed for Rory McIlroy”.This is the golfer’s childhood home in Holywood, County Down, which went on sale last week, giving us a glimpse into the early years of a future champion....
This week marks 10 years since the former England captain announced his move to LA Galaxy. But how did his decision shape soccer in the States?Wednesday marks 10 years since David Beckham confirmed he would leave Madrid and head to California to sign with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Then football’s most recognisable star, he arrived in Major League Soccer with the goal of improving the American game. Beckham promised to “make a difference” Stateside, but where did he fail and where did he succeed? Related: Why Miami made David Beckham work hard for his MLS stadium dream Related: Landon Donovan – I was wrong to criticise David Beckham at LA Galaxy Continue reading...