KEY POINTS:
He's the world's highest-paid soccer player and is said to earn $70 million a year, but if David Beckham is living it large in Auckland this week, he's keeping quiet about it.
The one-man brand kept out of sight yesterday, perhaps catching up on some sleep after his arrival from Los Angeles.
His LA Galaxy team filed through security to be welcomed by a powhiri, waiata and haka at Auckland Airport.
But the Auckland Regional Council will be hoping that many more than the 150 who turned up at the Jean Batten international terminal will be at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday.
The council is banking on "Beckham-mania" to help it recuperate the cost of bringing the soccer superstar and his team to New Zealand.
Council parks manager Lance Vervoort said 19,000 to 20,000 tickets will need to be sold for the council to recover costs. As of Tuesday night, 15,000 had gone.
Mr Vervoort would not say how much Beckham and the LA Galaxy had cost the council, but the Herald reported in August the match fee was US$1.2 million ($1.71 million).
As Beckham's teammates milled about the Westin Hotel at the Viaduct Harbour, security kept watch, questioning every person entering.
Beckham has often spoken about being one of the boys when on tour, and he bypassed the sixth-floor presidential suite of the Westin in favour of a basic room, which nonetheless costs about $500 a night. It includes a 32-inch flatscreen TV and overlooks a water-filled courtyard.