David Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy are poised to return to New Zealand but it won’t be to play the Phoenix, and it won’t be in Wellington.

The Galaxy are in discussions with the Oceania confederation about organising a match against an Oceania All Stars XI at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland during their off-season later this year.

The Galaxy have been linked to a match against A-League club Queensland Roar in Brisbane and Oceania is keen to get in on the action, as the Phoenix did last December when the Galaxy stopped off in the capital after playing Sydney FC in front of 80,000 people in Sydney.

The Phoenix-Galaxy match at Westpac Stadium, won 4-1 by the Galaxy and bankrolled by Phoenix owner Terry Serepisos, attracted a record crowd for a football match in New Zealand of 32,000 and intense media coverage as Wellington was captivated by the Beckham phenomenon.

The Phoenix were interested in staging a rematch, at Eden Park in Auckland, but the Galaxy are now looking to play the Oceania team.

“There was a bit of discussion with the match agent about us playing the LA Galaxy in Auckland, and we were talking with Eden Park. However that isn’t going ahead and it’s moved on,” Wellington Phoenix chief executive Tony Pignata confirmed yesterday.

“If it could’ve been done it would have been great but we had such a fantastic event in Wellington last year and we’re really now focused on the A-League and making sure we’re ready to perform this year.”

Oceania Football Confederation secretary-general Tai Nicholas was in Australia yesterday and did not return calls. But an OFC spokesman confirmed the confederation’s desire to stage the match, with Mt Smart Stadium understood to be the proposed venue.

“The concept behind the Galaxy returning to play an Oceania XI is to bring a match of that calibre back to New Zealand and capitalise off the Phoenix experiment last time, and also to give it an Oceania flavour,” the spokesman said.

“A lot of the clubs from Europe and particularly the MLS have got this idea of spreading their brand and it just happens to tie in well with this part of the world.”

Names being discussed as possible starters for an Oceania team include All Whites legend and Oceania player of the century Wynton Rufer, former French World Cup winner Christian Karembeu, who was born in New Caledonia, and Australia and Everton star Tim Cahill, whose brother plays for Samoa.

It is understood some funding for the match could be provided by Auckland Regional Council.

Serepisos forked out a $2 million fee to host the Galaxy on December 1 last year and later said he “broke even”.

England midfielder and former Manchester United and Real Madrid star Beckham, 33, is in his second season with the Galaxy after joining them from Madrid on a five-year deal, which, including endorsements, was understood to be worth about $150 million.

The Galaxy are coached by former world and European player of the year, Dutchman Ruud Gullit.