MIAMI (AP) — Don Garber remembers the early days of David Beckham’s plan to bring Major League Soccer to Miami, which began more than a dozen years ago.
There were many twists and turns. There was also a turn. Finally, Lionel Messi also appeared.
But until now, Miami didn’t exist.
“We believed in Miami,” Beckham said. “And Miami believed in us.”
After calling Fort Lauderdale home for over six years, Inter Miami finally played Austin FC in its namesake city on Saturday night. Garber, the MLS commissioner, was in attendance at the ribbon cutting at Miami Freedom Park. The complex is still under construction and needed temporary approval from city officials to host Saturday’s game.
Beckham chose Miami as his destination in 2013, the league officially accepted him in 2014 when he exercised his franchise expansion option, and now he has a home.
“We promised him an in-team option and he exercised that in Miami,” Garber said. “And it has been a journey. And that journey, in many ways, did not end when Leo Messi joined the club. That journey has truly come to an end today with the opening of this building.”
According to the team, the stadium has a seating capacity of 26,700. A public golf course near Miami International Airport was cleared of snow to make way for a stadium, and tons of construction equipment, from cranes to helmets, still litters the grounds. Despite lacking a certain aesthetic on Saturday, Inter Miami’s first “home” game since winning the MLS Cup last season, some fans spent more than $1,000 on the resale market for the best seats.
“It’s a great day for the club,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano told Apple TV before the match. “Today is a dream day for us.”
By the time Messi took to the field to warm up, most of the seats were occupied. Beckham and the rest of Inter Miami’s ownership group came out moments earlier to applaud the fans. Even interacting with some people In the most enthusiastic supporters section behind the goal. It was a grand event, with pink psylliums waving from the stands and music icon Marc Anthony performing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
If you look at the records, you will see that Messi did not score his first goal at the stadium. That credit goes to Austin defenseman Guilherme Bilo. Messi scored his first goal for Inter Miami with a header four minutes after Biro’s goal.
“There have been some difficult times, but David, he’s an optimist,” Garber said. “I think he was an optimist as a player. Again, he had a lot of courage. You saw that throughout his career. He has the same courage as a businessman.”
Beckham is a global icon in soccer, entertainment and fashion, and in many ways MLS changed forever when he came to the United States to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Through this deal, he received a franchise expansion option that ultimately meant Miami.
“When I came to the United States and MLS 20 years ago, my dream was to win championships, contribute to the development of the soccer I love, and build my own team,” Beckham said. “Thirteen years ago, I declared Miami my choice. We didn’t have a name. We didn’t have fans. We didn’t have a stadium. Today, I stand in our new home. We are champions of MLS. We have the best players in the history of the game playing in Miami. Dreams really do come true.”
Beckham’s celebrity level was what started it all. Messi has lifted his team onto the world stage. And other companies will be looking to replicate that, including Austin, which now has actor and producer Matthew McConaughey as part of its ownership group.
Mr. McConaughey wrote something of an open letter to Mr. Beckham on Saturday.
“Today, as Austin is visiting Miami to get a little joy on your new pitch, I’d like to start by shouting out a heartfelt ‘thank you’. You may not have invented soccer here in America, but you’ve definitely made it a success,” McConaughey wrote. “When you came to the Galaxy, you gave MLS new legitimacy, turning matches into events and essentially transforming MLS from a proving ground to a premier destination. Thank you.”
Much work remains, both on the finishing touches of construction and on the surrounding area (the team is promising to build a park, soccer field, retail stores, etc. as part of the complex), which still needs to receive final certification from various government agencies. Garber said he’s not worried about that impacting Inter Miami’s home schedule going forward.
MLS gave Inter Miami a few road matches before the season begins, buying time for the team to get closer to completing construction. While the traffic jams outside were a nightmare, inside the stadium everything seemed to be going smoothly.
Garber said his initial assessment Saturday was that the stadium was “breathtaking.”
“It’s just amazing what happened over the last 30 days to where we are today,” Garber said. “It’s gone much further than I expected. And I learned the lesson that sometimes you just have to believe when people say things are going to work out.”
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