David Beckham’s move to the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007 helped put Major League Soccer on the map, but it was his family’s actions away from the pitch that left the biggest impression on his team-mates
David Beckham’s surprise move to Los Angeles Galaxy put Major League Soccer firmly in the limelight, but it was his family’s off-pitch behaviour that left a lasting impression on those around them. The former England skipper sent shockwaves through the sporting world when he announced his departure from Real Madrid for the Galaxy in 2007.
Beckham paved the way for other high-profile stars like Thierry Henry, David Villa and Andrea Pirlo to wind down their careers in MLS. His England colleagues Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney also had subsequent stints across the pond.
Success didn’t come immediately for the Galaxy after Beckham’s arrival, but the ex-Manchester United ace did end his five-and-a-half-year tenure with back-to-back MLS Cup victories. However, Carlos Pavon Jr, son of former Galaxy star Carlos Pavon, remembers Victoria Beckham’s actions at a birthday party making a bigger impact on him and his family than her husband’s on-field exploits.
Honduran striker Pavon was part of the Galaxy squad during Beckham’s inaugural season. The forward only spent a year in LA, but his son has cherished memories of being around the Beckhams during his childhood, including one moment that has remained with him for nearly 18 years.
“It was the birthday of one of his sons. They had a party in a giant park and there were inflatable trampolines and the whole team was there, his whole family was there,” Pavon Jr recounted on the La Pelota Al DIEZ podcast. “I was playing with his son on the inflatable trampoline and we were jumping, and then out of nowhere, I notice the kid’s mum comes in, David’s wife, Victoria.
“She started jumping with us and I was like, ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this with Victoria Beckham,’ so I think that was the funniest thing. Everybody saw when she came in and started jumping with us, so when I came out, I think they all saw my surprised face, like, ‘Wow, that just happened.’ It was really funny.”
His father’s career took him to La Liga and Serie A before joining forces with Beckham at LA Galaxy. The elder Pavon also represented Honduras in the 2010 World Cup and played in Mexico and Colombia, but for his son, the LA experience was like living in a movie.
“It was incredible. I was 12 years old, so I was a bit between my childhood and my adolescence, but I remember very well and it was so different,” Pavon Jr said. “I really felt that, I felt that it had nothing to do with Italy, with Mexico, with Honduras.
“There I felt like we were literally in Hollywood, the people we interacted with, the cars, the food, the house, everything was like another level, from the moment we arrived to the moment we left and well, the presence of David Beckham also had a big influence on that.
“I followed him, I played FIFA with him and all that, so seeing him in person and interacting with him and his family was almost like a dream, like it wasn’t real.”
Beckham’s legacy continues to shape MLS. As part of his Galaxy deal, he was given the chance to buy an MLS expansion team, which eventually became Inter Miami.
The club made its MLS debut in 2020, but has reached new heights since acquiring Lionel Messi in 2023. In less than two years, the World Cup-winning captain has helped Miami win the 2023 Leagues Cup before guiding the team to the Supporters’ Shield last season.
Messi has scored 44 goals in 55 games and raised the club’s profile in the transfer market. The Argentine has been reunited with fellow Barcelona icons Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez at Chase Stadium, and is also being coached by their ex-team-mate Javier Mascherano.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy won the MLS Cup last year but are currently at the bottom of the Western Conference. Their current most high-profile player is Borussia Dortmund legend Marco Reus.
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