David Beckham looks serious from the stands. At Lockhart Stadium, about 50 kilometers from downtown Miami, he sees Inter Miami lose to Houston Dynamo on Saturday night (1-3). As a co-owner, the often cheerful Englishman has great ambitions with his team in Major League Soccer (MLS), but so far the results are poor: zero wins, one draw, five defeats.
The first years in the existence of Inter Miami were also difficult. In 2020, the club finished in tenth place in the Eastern Conference and missed out on the championship play-offs. Hoping for better performances, the club appointed Beckham’s friend and former Manchester United team-mate Phil Neville as head coach. Blaise Matuidi and Gonzalo Higuaín also made the switch from Italian champions Juventus. In vain, last year Inter Miami finished eleventh.
The Florida football club not only has a false start in sports. Last year there was a fine of two million dollars (about 1.8 million euros) because the now departed Matuidi and Andrés Reyes were not specified as designated players† three players per club are allowed to earn more than the salary cap of the MLS allows. Inter Miami had financial difficulties, partly due to the fine, and had to sell talented players.
The salary issue turned out to be “just the latest chapter in one of the messiest MLS team launches ever,” as The Athletic last year wrote. Eleven anonymous sources within and around the club criticized the “lack of policy and football technical experience” at Inter Miami in an article. “We created a brand, not a team,” was the main criticism.
25 million dollars
At the presentation of Inter Miami in 2018, the plans were promising. The MLS unpacked the American style in a chic concert hall in Miami, where a radiant Beckham – MLS scarf around his neck – between the thumping dance music, confetti and slick congratulatory videos with celebrities told that his “dream come true”. The British superstar had bought the right to start an MLS club for $ 25 million. A steal, compared to the $150 million that investors have to put down today.
The thought of the MLS: glamor boy Beckham (46) would revive the competition sportingly and commercially. It surprised few that he chose tropical, multicultural Miami with snow-white beaches and very expensive cars.
But difficulties arose in the implementation of ‘project Beckham’. Various plans for a new stadium, including in the harbor and in the Little Havana district, met with resistance from residents and especially local politicians. The search for a suitable stadium location is a headache; Inter Miami still does not have the green light for the construction of the Miami Freedom Park, which should accommodate 25,000 spectators. The club will play far outside Miami for at least two more seasons.
Nevertheless, Jonathan Bosch, a Dutchman with knowledge of the commercial side of the American sports world, sees sufficient prospects for Inter Miami. He points to the football-mad Hispanic community and rising TV monies — a new $300 million-per-season deal for the MLS is said to be in the works. The growing tech market in Miami and collaborations with European clubs also offer opportunities, says Bosch. “The 2026 World Cup in the US can also give a big boost to the MLS, and therefore also to Inter Miami.”
According to Bosch, who worked for the American branch of FC Barcelona and basketball club Utah Jazz, it is a challenge to find enough fans in Miami. “In America sports is entertainment, and you have to win. But football clubs in Miami don’t just compete with the NFL and NBA. There is so much entertainment that persuading residents to come to the stadium is extremely difficult.” Bosch says it’s important for Inter Miami to really get to know the locals. “For example, they could give potential fans with lower incomes free tickets to a game.”
Selection Policy
So far, Inter Miami has not had a large fan base. This may also have to do with the results, which seem to be the result of the ever-changing selection policy. The club first wanted to build a team with young, unknown players, but last year the focus was on big names and experienced football players, such as 31-year-old Dutch goalkeeper Nick Marsman from Feyenoord. A striking turn, because many clubs in the MLS have success with talents and the time of (top) players of age, such as Andrea Pirlo, Kaká and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, seems to be over.
According to Bosch, who saw many new sports franchises founded in his American years, the investment in a professional team almost always pays off in the long term. “Clubs almost never have major financial problems, because owners need a lot of money to start a franchise. You can’t be relegated either, and new teams are often helped by other clubs. Inter Miami will also be a stable club in a few years.”
Beckham again called for “patience” in February, but also said that this season should be “big”. marca reported that Inter Miami would be interested in Lionel Messi. Luís Suarez and FC Barcelona players Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba should also come to Miami. Beckham’s ambitions seem undiminished, but for now Inter Miami is a club that has yet to prove itself on the field.
A version of this article also appeared in NRC on the morning of April 5, 2022
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