Beckham Unveils Stadium Plans for Miami MLS Franchise

David Beckham has revealed that he wants to build a 25,000 capacity stadium for his Major League Soccer franchise in the Port of Miami.

The former LA Galaxy and Manchester United star looked at 30 sites across the city with his architects before opting for the location.

The open-air stadium would have views of the bay and the downtown skyline, giving a view that according to Beckham’s chief property advisor John Alschuler is only “seen by people with yachts, or cargo ships or by fish.”

Beckham said: “Miami is all about the water, all about the culture. I don’t think people see that enough.

“Our stadium, our site is all about the skyline, it’s all about the water – it opens up to that. And that’s what we want people to see all around the world. It’s the most important thing for us. I’ve been to the Miami Heat games, I’ve been around the area, I’ve seen the vibrant nature, I’ve seen the atmosphere – we want people to be part of that.”

The main opposition to Beckham’s plans come from cruise companies who also want to develop in the area and who are concerned a stadium will bring extra traffic and problems.

“There’s always going to be snags along the way,” Beckham added. “There is going to be people who don’t agree having the stadium in certain places.”

Although no date has been set, it is likely that a new stadium cannot be built before 2018.

If he wanted to launch the franchise before then, Marlins Park, home of Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise the Florida Marlins, could be shared temporarily.

Beckham added: “We will be funding the money ourselves, but as an organisation, we want to be treated like every other (sports franchise).

“We’re not asking for anything more or anything less.”