English soccer celebrity David Beckham will play in an exhibition match in Wellington in December with his new club, the Los Angeles Galaxy, New Zealand soccer officials said yesterday.
The Galaxy will play Wellington Phoenix, newcomers to Australia's A-League competition, in New Zealand's capital on Dec. 2.
The deal to bring Beckham and his team to Wellington is dependent on the England international being fit enough to play at least 55 minutes of the match.
"It really is crucial that David Beckham takes the field and plays," Phoenix owner and chairman Terry Serepisos said.
Beckham was expected to miss six weeks of soccer after suffering a knee strain at the end of last month, but Serepisos said he was confident the star would be fit by December.
If the 32-year-old cannot play, the match would be postponed, he said.
He added he hoped Beckham's appearance would re-ignite interest in soccer in rugby-mad New Zealand.
It was unclear if Beckham's wife Victoria would accompany him.
Her recently re-formed pop group, the Spice Girls, said in June they planned to play 11 dates in December and January.
LA Galaxy will travel to New Zealand after playing a one-off match against Australian A-League side Sydney FC in Sydney on Nov. 27.
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