Could Beckham Beat Pele?

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Amidst all the razzmatazz, David Beckham the ex England soccer captain has joined LA Galaxy.


The question has been asked whether Beckham can succeed in popularizing soccer in the United States in 2007, when Pele failed to do so in the seventies. Actually Pele did not fail. During his stint at New York Cosmos, they performed very well in front of an increasing number of fans. It is true that not long after Pele left Cosmos, the American Soccer League collapsed something like a damp squib, but perhaps there were other forces at work.


The biggest thing to happen to international football in the last decade or two is increased television coverage. In England, the home of soccer, the Premier league has attracted players from all over the world, including the USA. It is for sure that the extremely high salaries of world-class footballers could not be sustained without the income from television companies. In the UK, and elsewhere, Sky TV has been responsible for bringing the top soccer matches into the homes of millions of armchair fans.


The United States of America has its own unique brand of football that gets good television coverage. So does baseball, and it might be difficult for something relatively new, like soccer, to break in. However, that is surely the aim of bringing Brand Beckham to the USA.


Beckham is a renowned world superstar sportsman. Although this is a bit of risky venture for him, it is a much bigger risk financially for his backers. There is no doubt that United States could be a major force in international football. Some may say they are already, as apparently FIFA, football's international ruling body, rate them number eight, of football nations, but they could achieve much more.


So Beckham and LA Galaxy may be a better launching platform than Pele had. If Pele was a better player, Beckham is a bigger brand that goes down very well with commercial television. There are millions of people, and many nations who would like to welcome the USA into the fold, to participate in the world's most popular sport at the highest level.


Beckham is more than just a brand. He is a very good player, heavily seasoned with charisma, and very popular with his peers. It's just possible that he could ignite the spark to create an explosion of interest. We can only hope he’s not too posh!


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Could Beckham Beat Pele
soccer and football
Could Beckham Beat Pele