David Beckham made transfer history by moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid. For Beckham, the boy who had devoted his professional life to Manchester United, where he became a global celebrity, the move to Spain represented the biggest challenge of his career. Real Madrid was proud of its tradition as the most successful football club ever-an institution whose influence in Spain was huge and whose trophy record was unrivaled around the world. Beckham had to prove that he was more than just a brand to Real Madrid's supporters, that he was a player worthy of a team that had gathered the leading stars from across the globe, that he understood what it meant to play football in Spain.

A must-read not just for Beckham fans, but for those with a broader interest in Spain and its people, this book is an original and illuminating account of one of the most fascinating cultural and social encounters of our time.