His second challenge, though, is more personal. For all his raw power on the field, Drogba is a bright, contemplative character away from it. He likes “to know what I am going to do,” he said, and has been trying to work out what his “after football” life will look like for “three or four years.” He has never considered walking away from the game — “that was not an option,” he said — but he has not decided precisely what he wants to do within it.

The appeal of Phoenix to him, then, was that it provided a chance to test the waters. He will complete his coaching badges during the final act of his playing career; he could yet choose a career in management. More likely, though, he will investigate roles in the back office, probably as a sporting director, when he does retire. “This is a transition for me,” he said. “It is time to prepare for the next stage of my life, to get everything ready for the next phase.”

He has long suspected, though, that whatever comes next, it will be in the United States. He first took notice of the growth of M.L.S. when visiting as a player on preseason tours with Chelsea. “You could see the difference between when we came in my first years at the club and when we came back a few years later,” he said. He was sufficiently impressed by it to spend 18 months with Montreal, where he helped the team to the postseason for the first time.

His move to Phoenix is further proof of his conviction. Professional soccer’s arrival in Phoenix has not been a smooth one: The previous two U.S.L. teams — Phoenix F.C. and Arizona United — struggled to find a home stadium and support base. Drogba’s move to Phoenix serves as proof that he not only believes soccer is going to stick around, but that the Rising will also.