Beckham Runs His Messi Playbook Again, Now Aiming at Mbappé

Kylian Mbappé is not ruling out a future in Major League Soccer (MLS). Asked in Philadelphia whether he would one day play in the United States, the Real Madrid and France forward admitted David Beckham has pitched him on it many times. The exchange came during a media availability ahead of France’s 2026 World Cup group match against Iraq.

It is the same pitch Beckham made to Lionel Messi before Inter Miami’s arrival reshaped the league’s finances. Mbappé, though, is only 27 and signed to Real Madrid through 2029, a contract that leaves Beckham’s recruitment pitch to play out over years.

David Beckham Mentioned That to Me Many Times

Playing in MLS one day? I don’t know. David Beckham mentioned that to me many times. We will see, I don’t know.

Mbappé said that on June 21 during a press conference in Philadelphia, ahead of France’s Group I match against Iraq at Lincoln Financial Field, according to reporters from Yahoo Sports and Fox Sports who were in the room.

He went further when asked what draws him to the idea. He added, “The American culture is different, there are no limits to ambitions, I like it.”

Mbappé arrived at that answer in good form. He had already scored twice in France’s 3-1 opening win over Senegal, pushing his career World Cup tally to 16 goals, a mark bettered only by Messi, and moving him past Olivier Giroud as France’s all time leading scorer.

Athlon Sports noted that most players still in their prime typically wave off MLS questions entirely. Mbappé didn’t. He engaged with it twice, once on the football and once on what pulls him toward American sports culture.

A Locker Room Under Strain at the Bernabéu

Mbappé has 42 goals in all competitions this season and is on course for a second straight Pichichi trophy as La Liga’s top scorer, on top of this season’s Champions League scoring crown. None of that has turned into silverware. Real Madrid hasn’t won a major trophy with him in the squad since he arrived in 2024.

Fans booed him on his return from a hamstring injury this spring, irritated that part of his recovery included a holiday in Sardinia. A petition demanding the club move him on had gathered more than 12 million signatures in May. By the time he reached the World Cup in June, that count was being reported past 95 million.

L’Équipe described a growing irritation inside the squad over what it called his “lack of discretion.” The Athletic reported a heated confrontation between Mbappé and a member of the coaching staff during a match against Real Betis. Mbappé pushed back publicly, saying the criticism rested on “an overinterpretation of elements related to a recovery period.”

None of it points toward an actual exit. Real Madrid is not looking to sell this summer, whatever the noise around the dressing room.

Beckham Wrote This Blueprint in 2007

Beckham isn’t new to this. He left Real Madrid for the LA Galaxy in 2007 at 31, becoming MLS’s first Designated Player (DP), a rule the league created for his arrival that let teams pay a handful of players above the salary cap.

His return sharpened over time. In his final two seasons with the Galaxy, Beckham played closer to 70% of available minutes, and the club won MLS Cup both years. He finished his MLS career averaging 0.55 non-penalty goals and assists per 90 minutes, better than his final season at Real Madrid.

Lining up the three contracts side by side shows how different Mbappé’s situation actually is.

The business case never needed a flawless stat line from Beckham. His move is credited with cracking open MLS to European stars who once treated the league as unthinkable.

Messi Turned That Blueprint Into a Billion Dollar Franchise

Beckham had his proof of concept within two seasons of Messi’s arrival. Inter Miami is now valued at $1.45 billion, up 22% in a year, the highest figure in MLS and one of five clubs worth more than $1 billion. Local revenue alone topped $200 million last year, split roughly evenly between matchday and commercial income.

The crowds back that up. Messi has helped Inter Miami draw four of the top 10 attendances in MLS history, including a 75,824 crowd at Denver’s Empower Field this April, the second largest in league history. Co-owner Jorge Mas has said the club pays Messi between $70 million and $80 million a year.

League-wide, the effect isn’t confined to Miami. MLS reported an 11.45 million season attendance total, a 5% year over year jump, alongside a 13% rise in sponsorship revenue. Heung-Min Son has since joined LAFC, and Luis Suárez followed Messi to Miami himself.

Does Mbappé Fit the Profile That Actually Works?

Not yet, according to the data. ESPN’s review of aging Europe to MLS transfers found the moves that worked involved players still performing at a high level right before they left, not players already in decline, and those players tended to arrive only after they had already won everything Europe had to offer. At 27, without a Champions League title, Mbappé checks neither box.

The numbers separating successful transfers from failed ones were not really about age. They were about form retained right up to the move.

• Market value – successful transfers carried an average market value of €12.1 million in their final European season, against €7.9 million for the ones that flopped, per ESPN’s data review of these moves.
• Production – the successful group posted 0.58 non-penalty goals and assists per 90 minutes before leaving, compared with 0.42 for the group that struggled.
• Minutes played – successful movers were still featuring in 45.2% of available minutes at their old club, versus 39.5% for those who didn’t work out.

Messi skews all three numbers on his own, posting 1.81 non-penalty goals and assists per 90 in his first MLS season, better than his best year at Barcelona. Strip him out of the dataset and the pattern still holds. Only about 15 current MLS players hit even the more modest bar of 60% of available minutes and 0.66 non-penalty goal contributions in a first full season.

MLS has tended to attract players once they have already proven everything in Europe, typically deep into their thirties. Mbappé is 27 and still chasing his first Champions League title.

Two Contracts, One Overlapping Window

MLS is also moving toward Beckham’s timeline on its own. The league is preparing a calendar shift to align more closely with Europe’s schedule, part of a broader transformation that includes New York City FC’s new stadium opening ahead of the 2027-28 season.

Lay the relevant dates next to each other and the overlap is hard to miss.

1. 2007: Beckham leaves Real Madrid for the LA Galaxy, becoming MLS’s first Designated Player and opening the league to prime age European stars.
2. July 2023: Messi joins Inter Miami on a free transfer from PSG, turning Beckham’s ownership stake into the league’s biggest story.
3. June 2026: Mbappé confirms in Philadelphia that Beckham has raised MLS with him repeatedly, while keeping his stated focus on France’s World Cup run.
4. 2028: Messi’s current Inter Miami contract expires, leaving the club needing its next headline signing.
5. 2029: Mbappé’s Real Madrid contract runs out, the earliest point he could leave for nothing beyond a negotiated fee.

Inter Miami has already drawn two of 2026’s biggest U.S. sports crowds, both bigger than Super Bowl 60. Beckham will need a new headline act once Messi’s deal runs out in 2028, a year before Mbappé’s own contract clears.

For Now, Philadelphia Is the Only Stop

Mbappé’s focus, by his own account, stays on France and the Golden Boot race he’s chasing alongside Messi and Erling Haaland. Real Madrid’s medical staff, not Inter Miami’s recruiters, control his summer schedule.

Beckham has waited before. He raised MLS with Messi long before it happened, and Inter Miami’s project didn’t move until the player himself decided the timing was right. In Philadelphia, Mbappé left the door open, nothing more.

Frequently Asked Questions

When Does Kylian Mbappé’s Real Madrid Contract Expire?

Mbappé’s Real Madrid deal was signed July 1, 2024, and runs through June 30, 2029. Capology lists three years and roughly €93.75 million still owed on that contract, separate from the release clause designed to keep rival clubs away.

How Much Does Lionel Messi Earn at Inter Miami?

Beyond his salary, Messi’s contract included an option for partial ownership of Inter Miami once he retires, along with revenue sharing from broadcasting deals. His 2025 guaranteed compensation was reported at $20.45 million, making him the highest paid player in MLS history before that broadcasting share is even counted.

Has Any Other European Star Followed a Similar Path Toward MLS?

England forward Marcus Rashford trained at Inter Miami’s facilities before linking up with the Three Lions for the World Cup, without any permanent transfer. It reflects how common informal contact between MLS clubs and Europe’s active stars has become.

Is Real Madrid Actually Preparing to Sell Mbappé?

AS journalist Tomás Roncero called reports of a Mbappé exit social media nonsense this spring, and Real Madrid’s position hasn’t shifted since. With three years left on his contract, any transfer before 2029 would need Real Madrid’s active cooperation, not simply outside interest.

What Is MLS’s Designated Player Rule?

Created for Beckham’s 2007 arrival, the Designated Player (DP) rule lets each club sign a limited number of players for salaries above the league’s roster budget, with the club covering the difference. Messi’s pay dwarfs the league’s roughly $400,000 average salary and $65,000 minimum, showing how wide that gap has grown.