For four years, David Beckham has worked to bring an MLS team to Miami and on Monday it finally (and officially) became a reality. In a media event, that was part press conference and part pep rally, Beckham spoke about his struggles in the process of bringing an expansion team to South Florida and how, despite the obstacles, he never gave up.
“Today, you made my dream come true,” Beckham said.
He affirmed that Miami was the city for his team, praising the diversity, culture, people and, of course, the weather and beaches.
“When I was awarded the team, there was only one city for me. Only one city, and it was here,” he said. Beckham praised the fans and said their support has been “relentless”.
“We’re going to make and build a club you can be proud of,” he said.
So far, we don’t know the name of the team, what the logo will look like, or where exactly it will play. But the name and team colors will be a collaborative project, as Beckham said fans will be involved in those decisions. The goal for the team is to start playing in 2020. They will begin at a temporary location and have a new stadium open in 2021.
This isn’t the first time MLS has been in South Florida. The Miami Fusion played in Fort Lauderdale from 1998-2001. There are currently 23 MLS team, with the league expanding to add the new Miami team as well as a team in Nashville. MLS is hoping to continue the expansion to 28 teams.
