And the Winner Is...
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...Donovan.
It has to be Landon Donovan. And not just because he's American. Hear me out.
While Beckham is vastly more popular and, at his peak, was probably a far better player than Donovan, that doesn't mean he's done more for the league.
And this isn't totally a knock on Beckham.
The simple fact is that Donovan has been in MLS far longer, and has done more.
The other big reason is also out of Beckham's control: he's not American.
It sounds arbitrary, but it does matter, especially with a major MLS target: kids.
Most American kids could care less what Beckham did with Manchester United, but they definitely know Donovan from the World Cup.
And more than anything else, it was extremely important that America's World Cup hero came home to play in the MLS.
That, way more than anything in Beckham's power, helped to attract fans. So while the name recognition is a contest that Beckham wins hands-down, Donovan is actually more important in attracting fans and helping MLS.