David Beckham will finally be bringing a MLS expansion team to the city of Miami, it has been officially announced.
Four years after the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Los Angeles Galaxy soccer star told fans he wanted to bring a team to Miami, MLS has rubber-stamped the decision for the franchise, which currently has no name, players or stadium.
“Bringing an MLS club to Miami has been a hell of a journey,” said Beckham, who becomes the first former MLS player to own a franchise.
The event was attended by MLS commissioner Don Garber as well as Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A Gimenez as well as as well as celebrity appearances from the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith and Jay-Z.
Beckham’s investment group, Miami Beckham, which backs the project, previously mooted plans to build a privately funded 25,000-seat stadium in the Overtown neighborhood, which has been met with opposition from locals who claim the site would benefit more from affordable housing.
The Miami expansion will become Major League Soccer’s 25th franchise since the league began in 1993. The league is currently in the process of expanding to 28 teams, with Nashville the most recent city to be awarded a team prior to Miami’s announcement.
Miami residents will have to wait until 2020 to see their home team play its first game, although this is likely to be at a shared home stadium until its own is built, which is speculated to be 2021 should plans be given the green-light.
January 31, 2018
