India, Aug. 12 -- When David Beckham moved to the United States to play for Los Angeles Galaxy, he still held ambitions to play for the England national team. But he got a clear message from then England manager Fabio Capello about what he would need to do to be considered for the national squad.

"He said, 'you have to play for a European club at the highest level,'" Beckham revealed in his 2023 documentary, Beckham.

At the time, a big-money move to a club playing in a less competitive league effectively marked the end of a player's international career. It was an option pursued more by players well past their prime, who were looking for a relatively easier stage to play on in the last stage of their career.

But that is not the case to...