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David Beckham announced Monday that he would leave the Los Angeles Galaxy after the M.L.S. Cup championship Dec. 1, ending a six-year run in Major League Soccer that raised the league’s profile and also its level of play.

Beckham, 37, won his first league championship last season in the final game of his groundbreaking (and at the time somewhat controversial) five-year contract with M.L.S. He then turned down overtures from Paris St.-Germain to sign a new two-year deal to return to the Galaxy, though it now appears he will only serve out half of it.

“I’ve had an incredibly special time playing for the LA Galaxy; however, I wanted to experience one last challenge before the end of my playing career,” Beckham said in a statement released by the team. “I don’t see this as the end of my relationship with the league as my ambition is to be part of the ownership structure in the future.

“In my time here I have seen the popularity of the game grow every year. I’ve been fortunate to win trophies, but more important to me has been the fantastic reception I’ve had from fans in L.A. and across the States. Soccer’s potential has no limits in this wonderful country and I want to always be part of growing it.”

Official praise for Beckham was heaping, and quick:

M.L.S. Commissioner Don Garber: “When David Beckham signed with the LA Galaxy in 2007, he set out to help grow MLS and the sport of soccer in North America. There is no doubt that MLS is far more popular and important here and abroad than it was when he arrived. David has achieved great things on and off the field during his time with the Galaxy, and he will always be an important part of our history. We look forward to his continued involvement with the LA Galaxy and the League.”

Tim Leiweke, the chief executive of AEG, which owns the Galaxy: “Seldom does an athlete redefine a sport and David not only took our franchise to another level but he took our sport to another level. It has been an honor and privilege to be a part of his world, and more importantly, to have him be a part of ours.”

It is unclear if Beckham’s departure from the Galaxy signals the end of his time as a player; it is notable that in praising his time in Los Angeles, he said he “wanted to experience one more challenge before the end of my playing career.” He has long been clear about his interest in owning a team in the league — M.L.S. continues to push ahead with opaque plans for a second team in New York.