Top Stories

Report: Beckham to begin stadium negotiations with Miami-Dade county

DavidBeckhamBooksigning1 (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

A new soccer stadium for an expansion Major League Soccer franchise in Miami is closer to becoming a reality.

Miami Beckham United, the name for David Beckham’s ownership group for a potential MLS franchise, are expected to begin negotiations on Tuesday with Miami-Dade county for a site on which to build a soccer-specific stadium, according to the Miami Herald. Beckham’s group and Miami-Dade county mayor Carlos Gimenez’s office are expected to go over a list of 30 sites, including Beckham’s preferred site, county-owned land on the Port of Miami.

Depending on the outcome of the meeting, the Miami Herald reports that Beckham and MLS could make an announcement on the progress as early as next week.

Some stumbling blocks still remain before a stadium deal can be reached. Gimenez has repeatedly stated that he will not spend county funds on building a stadium and that if Beckham’s ownership group decided to build a stadium on public land, they’d need to sign a “fair rent payment.”

In addition, at least two county commissioners named in the report are not in favor of any of the stadium sites yet.

On Jan. 16, MLS commissioner Don Garber told reporters at the 2014 MLS SuperDraft that there would likely be an announcement on the future of the Miami MLS expansion bid by early February. Beckham, who retired from professional soccer last May, is able to become an investor-operator in MLS for a cut-rate fee of $25 million instead of the current asking price of around $70-$100 million.

——-

What do you think of this report?

Comments

  1. Inter miami city fc here they come or miami city.
    So nowvthat galaxy will have DP competition, with nycfc and miami, i wonder what galaxy will do. Sounders are getting there with DPs and red bull with petke good luck getting DPs since petke believes in bullcrap. Why doesn’t petke use that red bull wallet.
    As for future dps, im going crazy. You have messi, cr7, rooney, balotelli and the.list goes on.

    Reply
    • If the Red Bulls cannot compete on the field with NYCFC fans will eventually flock to the newcomers. MLS allegiances aren’t so old that they cannot be broken.

      Reply
  2. With the kind of money his group has to throw around…potentially any of them.

    Toronto just threw over $100 million at Defoe and Bradley. With that kind of money, and David Beckham’s name, and an east-coast city where European players can just hop a plane and be back across the pond…I don’t think there’s a lot of names off the table.

    Reply
  3. I’m trying not to get excited. I’m trying not to get excited. I’m trying not to get excited. I’m trying not to get excited.

    On face value an MLS team in Miami seems like folly but….
    Everything I’ve read so far about this venture seems to be being done (IMHO) in the right way. They seems to have the recipe for success in such a nuanced market like the Miami sports scene.

    Reply
    • by the time they could theoretically start play, Iniesta would be a good idea. Claure has the Barca connection and i wouldn’t be surprised to see him use it. i think someone like Rooney and Robin van Persie could be added to your list.

      and i agree with others, i think Ronaldo absolutely ends up playing in Miami if Beckham gets a team. if they don’t, he’ll go to LA.

      Reply
  4. what will be the 23rd and 24th team?

    Atlanta? Ottawa? St. Louis? Phoenix? Minneapolis?

    Canada needs a 4th team. But perhaps not at the expense of a US city. St. Louis deserves 1 for sure but they don’t have the proper management. Atlanta for sure are going to get 1 eventually.

    But to me cap expansion at 24 teams and raise the number of 2nd division clubs to 20 and properly set that up. we need to have 2 professional leagues in this country and a semi-pro 3rd division akin to the college- level of soccer.

    Reply
    • I see Kronke getting a St Louis team. I don’t know if this means he sells the Rapids or if he owns two teams but he’s the only solution for St Louis

      Reply

Leave a Comment