By AMANDA TORRES
After a “painful” four-year pursuit, David Beckham announced on Jan. 29 that he received approval to create a Miami Major League Soccer team. Beckham and his co-owners, Marcelo Claure, Simon Fuller and Jorge and Jose Mas, are now arranging a site in Overtown to build a $200 million soccer stadium.
The Miami Herald, which has followed the progression of starting an MLS team in Miami, said that the stadium will be ready by 2021. The team will begin playing in 2020 at sites like Hard Rock Stadium, FIU Stadium or Marlins Park until the stadium is ready.
Beckham admitted that he and his business partners are not thinking about who will take up the coveted spots on the new team just yet. Even though there are many people who are interested in joining, Beckham said that he and his business partners have “a lot of work to do” before they decide on who the team’s players will be.
In the months coming up, Beckham and his partners do want to take input from fans to decide on a name for the team, as well as possible options for its official colors and logo. According to The Herald, Beckham said “black” and “white” are a few options they are considering.
Beckham first announced the possibility of having a Major League Soccer team in Miami in February 2014, almost four years ago. Beckham and his team have been persistent throughout the process, even in the moments when it seemed like it would not end up happening.
“Luckily, these four years of pain, at times, has taught me that sometimes you go through certain moments where it’s difficult,” Beckham told The Herald before the ceremony. “I look at the past four years and see the positive. There’s a reason why it’s taken this long. If I hadn’t gone through those times, I wouldn’t have met these guys [pointing to Miami co-owners Jorge and Jose Mas], guys who are passionate about this city and this sport. It’s like the weather.
“You walk out the door and it’s raining, then you walk out another door and its sun. That’s kind of like the journey it’s been the last four years. There have been moments I got off a phone call and I’m excited and it’s happening, and I wake up the next morning and it’s all gone.”