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Becks realises his dream

After six years David Beckham saw his Inter Miami team play their first game, a friendly, at the weekend. Their first MLS fixture is on March 1st. Their first match was at the Al Lang stadium, an antiquated baseball stadium in Fort Lauderdale with a 7,500 capacity. It is a 40 minute drive north of Miami. A 20,000 seater stadium in Fort Lauderdale will be ready for their first MLS match and will be their home for at least two seasons, perhaps for good.

The longer term plan is to build the Miami Freedom Park stadium with a 25,000 seat capacity near Miami International Airport. However, many politicians oppose building on the site at the Melreese Country Club in a city lacking in green open spaces.

Beckham has local partners in Jorge and José Mas, Miami-based Cuban-American construction magnates who have the ability to navigate South Florida political waters. Other investors include Masayoshi Son, the Japanese billionaire owner of multinational conglomerate SoftBank, and Marcelo Claure, the former chief executive of US telecommunications company Sprint.

Beckham got a cut price franchise for $25m in 2007. They are now valued at upwards of $250m.

Inter Miami are involved in a legal dispute with Inter Milan who filed a US patent and trademark application in 2014 to ensure ownership of an exclusive 'Inter' brand.

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