LONDON — David Beckham may be preparing for his last hurrah around Hollywood, but as the athlete fades, his image-makers are keeping many balls in play.

In truth, his worth as a team player was on its way down when he left Real Madrid for the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007. What he has been selling ever since is Brand Beckham. The official statement that Beckham, now 37, seeks one more soccer challenge has set off a gold rush in Australia, China, England and possibly even in New York, with the Red Bulls of Major League Soccer; all are linked to a deal that trades the last legs of Beckham for the dollars yet to be wrung out of his celebrity.

Good luck to whoever gets him, though; with his wife, Victoria and their kids ensconced in the California lifestyle, don’t bet on the tenure abroad lasting too long. He will go where the brand is best served, but like it said in his departure note, he may come back to the United States as an owner.

Certainly, he is rich enough.

His game might not be. In two places, Spain and America, his legacy changed the fiscal rules around soccer.