It wasn’t long ago that we saw David Beckham hanging up his cleats and calling it a career; December to be exact. Just a few months have passed and Beckham is already looking to step back into soccer.
But this time he will be wearing a suit and tie.
As Major League Soccer looks to expand the league, Beckham is eyeing Miami as the location of his own MLS team.
David Beckham Will Bring MLS To Miami
It has been quite a while since Miami has been home to an MLS team. The Miami Fusion held matches in Fort Lauderdale from 1998 to 2001, before shutting down because of poor attendance.
Even Orlando City has been vying for a professional soccer team (which Beckham actually considered).
Currently, the MLS stands at 19 teams and league commissioner Don Garber hopes to expand to 24 teams by the 2020 season. A 20th team is already in place to begin playing in 2015 after Premier League club Manchester City partnered with the New York Yankees and paid an expansion fee of $100 million to launch New York City FC.
This is where David Beckham comes in. The ex-Los Angeles Galaxy player has reportedly decided on Miami as the location of his planned franchise. MLS Executive Vice President Dan Courtemanche told the AP:
“We know that Miami is one of the most passionate soccer markets in North America. We have met with David Beckham regarding ownership of an expansion team, and we look forward to David one day owning an MLS club.”
Plans In Motion
As of now, it looks like Miami will get its wish to once again field an MLS team. Business partner Simon Fuller, the “American Idol” creator who is the driving force in franchise negotiations, will be a significant shareholder. Not only that, but David Beckham plans to open up the team to additional investors.
Because Beckham is looking to launch the franchise in roughly three years, a brand new stadium seems out of the question. In light of this, Beckham toured the Sun Life and Florida International University stadiums and met with Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
Without plans being publicly discussed just yet, it is said that David Beckham will put forth about $25 million for the expansion team.
What do you think about Beckham bringing MLS Soccer to Miami? Is soccer catching on in the US?
Photo credit – louiseellis.com
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