FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — David Beckham broke new ground when he joined MLS in 2007. Some 18 years later, he’s still forging ahead with league firsts.
Beckham, Inter Miami’s co-owner, became the first person in league history to win MLS Cup as a player and then as an owner after his side beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 on Saturday.
As a player, Beckham won MLS Cup in 2011 and 2012 with the LA Galaxy, and Saturday marked the crowning achievement of his post-playing involvement in the sport.
“It has to be one of the greatest moments in my career to have won it as a player and now to have won it as an owner,” Beckham told The Athletic. “I don’t think that’s been done before, so that’s a nice thing to do first.”
The Galaxy made the future-altering signing of Beckham when the English superstar left Real Madrid for California in 2007.
Beckham’s Galaxy teams did not have instant success, but he would eventually win those two titles. As Miami owner, his team didn’t have instant success either – even getting off the ground was a yearslong odyssey – but after signing Lionel Messi in 2023, the club has been among the league’s best and cemented their status with Saturday’s MLS Cup triumph.
Messi’s impact was absolute. He set a record with 15 goal contributions (six goals, nine assists) in a single postseason – in just six games – capped with his two assists Saturday.
In Beckham’s first MLS Cup win as a player, he played a role as setup man as well, assisting on Landon Donovan’s goal in a 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo.
David Beckham and his children with the 2012 MLS Cup after the LA Galaxy beat the Houston Dynamo for a second straight final (Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images)
“One of the things was obviously me going to L.A., but then the next one was me owning the team and my promise to America and to the MLS was to bring the best player, and we brought the best player and now we’ve had success tonight,” Beckham said. “Tonight is just one of those nights that I’ll never forget.”
Beckham’s signing with the Galaxy changed the course of MLS history. The league created the Designated Player rule to accommodate a superstar of his caliber. The rule, still in use today, meant the Galaxy could pay Beckham more money than the salary cap would have otherwise permitted.
Beckham’s arrival also helped accelerate key infrastructure changes at clubs and standards for players in the league.
As part of the blockbuster deal to bring Beckham to the Galaxy, MLS agreed to a clause allowing the England international to purchase an MLS expansion team for a pre-set fee of just $25 million.
It took some time, but Beckham, with managing owner Jorge Mas and his brother Jose, brought Inter Miami to life with a 2020 inaugural season.
When Inter Miami debuted, Nashville SC entered the league as well. Nashville paid an expansion fee of $150 million. By 2025, San Diego entered MLS for a $500 million expansion fee.
Success did not come immediately. Inter Miami’s best conference finish in its first four seasons was sixth, and it missed the playoffs altogether twice. Even after last season’s Supporters’ Shield-winning campaign, the club fell in the first round of the playoffs. Now, Miami has the trophy to show for its efforts – as does Beckham.
David Beckham (left) celebrates Inter Miami’s opening goal in MLS Cup (Rich Storry / Getty Images)
“When I first came here almost 20 years ago, I knew that there was going to be a challenge, but in all honesty, I knew the potential (that) America had for this sport,” Beckham said. “I always promised the commissioner that my commitment wasn’t just to the Galaxy, it was to improving and making this sport stronger in this country.”
Miami is not stopping here. The club continues to be ambitious for the future and will open a new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, in 2026. With Messi now under contract through 2028 after signing a new deal in October, the club will enter its new home with its transcendent star, and, now, a star over the crest on its kit.
“The ultimate dream,” was to win MLS Cup, Beckham said. “To have been able to play our last game in the MLS in our stadium tonight and win the MLS Cup – you couldn’t have written it.”
