David Beckham Miami MLS Soccer

Major League Soccer awards expansion club to Miami

January 29, 2018

With an extraordinary ownership group at the helm and an agreement in place to build a world-class soccer stadium, Miami has officially been granted a Major League Soccer expansion team, Commissioner Don Garber announced today.

The club will be owned by a local and global group of entrepreneurs: global soccer and cultural icon and former MLS player David Beckham; Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO, SoftBank board member and long-time Miami-resident and entrepreneur; Jorge and José Mas, the Miami-based leaders of telecommunications and construction giant MasTec; Masayoshi Son, founder and CEO of SoftBank; and entertainment entrepreneur and manager, Simon Fuller.

“It is with tremendous pride that we welcome Miami to Major League Soccer,” said Commissioner Garber. “With David Beckham, Marcelo Claure, Jorge and José Mas, Masayoshi Son and Simon Fuller leading the way, we know the right people are in place and the time is right for Miami to become a great Major League Soccer city.

“This ownership is committed to bringing Miami the elite-level soccer team, stadium and fan experience it richly deserves. We look forward to working with the entire organization on a strategic and successful launch for Miami’s MLS club.”

“Our mission to bring an MLS club to Miami is now complete, and we are deeply satisfied, grateful and excited,” said David Beckham.

“Our pledge to our fans in Miami and around the world is simple: your team will always strive to make you proud on the pitch, our stadium will be a place that you cherish visiting, and our impact in the community and on South Florida’s youth will run deep.”

Miami’s team will play in a privately developed, 25,000-seat state-of-the-art stadium in the city’s urban core.

The stadium will be designed by Populous, the global firm that has created MLS stadiums in Orlando, Houston, Kansas City and Colorado, along with Audi Field (opening this year in Washington, D.C.), and Allianz Field (opening in Minnesota in 2019). Populous has also worked on many of the top soccer venues around the world, including the new stadium for Tottenham Hotspur, opening this year, and the expansion of Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium in 2015.

David Beckham Miami MLS Soccer