Former England captain David Beckham is moving to the United States to play for LA Galaxy.
The former England captain will leave Real Madrid in June and play in America's Major League Soccer from August, in a £128 million five-year deal.
The multi-millionaire footballer denied the transfer was financially driven, claiming he wanted to help build up the game in the US.
The deal is bigger than anything any footballer has signed and experts believe it will also help protect his status as a global marketing brand.
But his decision to turn down a host of major British and European clubs may be seen by some as the beginning of the end of his career as one of the world's top players.
It is, however, likely to appeal to his pop star wife Victoria who counts Tom Cruise's new wife Katie Holmes among her Hollywood friends.
Beckham, 31, quit as England captain following last summer's disappointing World Cup and has fallen out of favour with Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello.
He joins an illustrious list of football stars, including Pele and Franz Beckenbauer, who spent their twilight years plying their trade Stateside.
Timothy Leiweke, the president and chief executive of Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which owns LA Galaxy, said Beckham was the only person who could make football truly popular in America.
"David Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally," he said.
