Real Madrid have abandoned plans for a £15 million end-of-season tour to the United States because American teams were not interested in matches without David Beckham. The former England captain has refused to play for Real beyond his last competitive game, on June 17 against Real Mallorca.

That has ruined the Spanish club’s plans to squeeze one more payday out of Beckham before he leaves for Los Angeles. Instead of Real saying goodbye to Beckham in a money-spinning game against his new club, the Los Angeles Galaxy, in which he would have played the first half for his old side and the second for his new team, Real could be forced to look on in envy as he makes his full debut against Chelsea on July 21.

Beckham’s deal does not finish until the end of June but because of various stipulations about time off in his contract, the Beckham camp is confident that Real will not be able to force the player to do what would amount to a fifth tour in four seasons.

Beckham is still believed to be unhappy over the way Real treated him during contract negotiations and when he signed for LA Galaxy, and he is also keen to take a family holiday before kicking-off in Los Angeles. That means he will not play in Real’s planned benefit match in the Middle East scheduled for June 19 against an Israeli-Palestine select XI.

“Real Madrid went ahead and organised the game without consulting the players,” a spokesman for Beckham said. “Unfortunately David had booked flights and holidays to spend time with his family in the short time he has before the MLS [Major League Soccer] season starts again and that has to come first. But we are in discussions with Israeli authorities about doing something else before the end of the year.”

Beckham’s snub for Real does set up the possibility of him making his debut in the States against Chelsea, who will be on tour and are due to play the Galaxy the weekend after he signs.

The former England captain will be presented as a Galaxy player on July 16 and although the MLS side have a game the next day against Tigres, of Mexico, Beckham’s first full match could be delayed until July 21 to give his arrival on the US stage maximum impact. The prospect of him making his debut against his England teammates, John Terry and Frank Lampard, is already being viewed as the perfect way to launch his career in the US.