LONDON — Frank Lampard and David Villa are world-renowned players. For now, they are oceans apart. But if all goes to plan, their careers could be joined in New York three months from now.

They are contracted to be the key players in the New York City FC team building for the 2015 season in Major League Soccer. But there is no such thing as a free time out in professional sports — so right now Lampard, the former Chelsea star, is firing goals unexpectedly for Manchester City while Villa, among the most prolific scorers in Spanish history, has landed in Australia in time for Melbourne City’s opening league fixture against Sydney FC on Saturday.

Different time zones, different standards of competitive play, same purpose.

The Englishman and the Spaniard are similar in nature in that they live to play the game, and their pride would not allow them to wind down their illustrious careers on any gilded sinecure. As long as they breathe, they will perform to their maximum.

In this respect, they have more to offer United States soccer than David Beckham ever did. He was, and to a degree still is, a global superstar, a genuine nice guy whose doings off the field outgrew his value as a player on it.