.David Beckham announced the name of the MLS franchise on Wednesday
.The badge has also been revealed, which includes two Herons – the local bird
.Inter Miami will be launched in 2020 and will join the MLS then as well
David Beckham has revealed he has named his MLS franchise Inter Miami.
Inter Miami also posted a short clip on Instagram, revealing what the club’s badge will look like and they have stayed true to their roots.
They captioned the social media post: ‘Four years ago, we dreamt of a soccer club. Today, we’re proud to announce the official crest of that club.
The eye-catching design of the badge includes two great Herons – a bird local to Miami – whose legs appear to be interlocked on a striking pink and black background.
At the base of the crest are the Roman numerals MMXX, for the year 2020, in which the franchise will be launched and join the MLS.
Speaking following the highly anticipated announcement, Beckham said: ‘This is such a proud day for myself and for the entire team.
‘It’s an honour to announce the new name and crest to our fans – we are taking another important step in establishing our Club and today marks an important moment in the history of Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami.
‘Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami is a name that celebrates the incredible energy of one of the most exciting cities in the world – one that is diverse, passionate and ambitious – a city that has welcomed me and so many others, so warmly.
The expected Inter Miami stadium will be part of 110 acres of permanent green space
‘Our club will be a home for all – no matter where you are from or how you got here. This is just the beginning of our journey as we continue to build towards our first game in 2020.’
The former Manchester United midfielder’s franchise are expected to play their football at Miami Freedom Park.
The stadium will be part of 110 acres of permanent green space. There will also be pitches over 23 acres for young players to play on — and they will be open to the public.
In a bold move, they have also said that there would not be any public money used in funding the stadium build.
Benefits to the area include up to $40million (£30m) of annual tax revenue, $20m (£15m) to the city and 11,000 jobs created over three years.
The construction of the stadium will be included on a referendum in the upcoming ballot in south Florida in November.
INTER MIAMI TIMELINE
In November 2012, MLS commissioner Don Garber confirmed the league’s renewed interest in placing an expansion franchise in Miami.
When David Beckham – who received an option to purchase an expansion team at a price of £20million when he joined the league in 2007 – ended his playing career in April 2013, the league held preliminary discussions with Beckham’s advisers about several expansion targets, including Miami.
In December 2013, Garber identified Beckham and Simon Fuller as potential owners in Miami. Later that month, on December 17, Miami-Dade County commissioners voted unanimously to allow the mayor to negotiate with the Beckham-led group on a new stadium in downtown Miami.
The MLS revealed Beckham had exercised his option in February 2014 and that Miami Beckham United would own an expansion franchise in Miami.
In January 2018, the Miami Beckham United group, four years after the ownerships’ original announcement of pursuing a team, was officially awarded the twenty-fifth MLS franchise and will launch in the 2020 season.