Major League Soccer announced Wednesday that David Beckham will bring an MLS franchise to Miami. The retired LA Galaxy and England captain player selected an option in his contract to purchase a team for a “below-market $25 million.’
“I wanted to create a team that we could start from scratch,” he said. “I know this city is ready for football —soccer —this time around,”
Beckham said.
The new team is expected to play in 2017 or 2016.
Beckham and his group, Miami Beckham United, are looking to build a privately funded stadium on publicly owned land, near the southwest corner of the seaport.
Mayor Carlos Gimenez is currently in negotiations with Beckham’s group and the process is expected to last through the end of the summer.
“The world’s most popular sport is coming to the world’ hottest city,” Gimenez said Wednesday. He clarified he wasn’t referring to the temperature.
