Spanish fly

Wild Beckham saga has sur-Real ending for all of England

LONDON (AP) -- At last, it's over.

After weeks of breathless, blow-by-blow, will-he or won't-he speculation, the saga that has transfixed Britain has come to an end.

Yes, David Beckham is really leaving Manchester United to play for a club in Spain.

No, not FC Barcelona. Real Madrid.

In a fitting twist, the news was announced as Beckham was flying to Japan on the latest swing of a promotional tour to enhance his profile -- as if he needed any more publicity.

After 13 years with Manchester United, the world's richest and most visible club, the 28-year-old midfielder fell out with manager Alex Ferguson and became expendable.

Last week, the club said it had reached a deal to ship Beckham to Barcelona. But the player turned down the move, clearing the way for a transfer to his preferred choice -- glamorous Real Madrid, the nine-time European Cup champion.

The clubs announced Tuesday night that Beckham will join Madrid this summer in a four-year deal worth $41.35 million.

"I know that I will always regret it later in life if I had turned down the chance to play at another great club like Real Madrid," Beckham said in a statement through his agents, SFX.

The Beckham story was the top item on newscasts and is sure to generate loads of news print for days to come.

To call the England captain a soccer star doesn't come close to defining his status. He's a cultural icon, the nation's most talked about, written about and photographed personality.

He's a brand unto himself, the man from Planet Beckham, a marketing colossus with a talent for self-promotion. Sure, he's one of the best in the world at crosses and free kicks, but he's also a fashion model, hairstyle trendsetter and all-around mega celebrity.

The adulation of Beckham cuts across all lines -- he's popular with soccer fans and non-fans alike, men, women, children and different ethnic and racial groups.

What will the British newspapers and magazines do without Beckham and his spotlight-worshipping wife Victoria, a former Spice Girl struggling to resurrect a singing career.

"Posh & Becks" have been dubbed the country's unofficial royal couple. Their mansion in Hertforshire, north of London, is known as "Beckingham Palace."

Last week, Beckham received a prestigious award -- Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE -- in Queen Elizabeth II's honors list.

But Beckham isn't famous only in Britain. He's a huge name in most of the soccer-loving world, where his pretty-boy face and No. 7 shirt are plastered across billboards and used to sell soccer shoes, sunglasses, soft drinks and other products.

It's only in the United States where the Beckhams appear to be relatively unknown. By most accounts, the couple's recent U.S. promotional tour failed to enhance their standing in a country where soccer takes a back seat to other sports.

Perhaps the most amazing facet of the Beckham phenomenon is his transformation from hate figure to worshipped idol.

Five years ago, he was hung in effigy and blamed for England's second-round exit from the 1998 World Cup in France. Beckham had received a red card for kicking Argentina's Diego Simeone, reducing the English to 10 men in a game they eventually lost in a penalty shootout.

After months of abuse, Beckham silenced his critics by playing some of his best soccer for Manchester United and England. The marketing of Beckham began in earnest and soon reached unheard-of levels.

So why would Manchester United get rid of its prized asset? Two main reasons.