The world was lined with pink lights earlier than the match, whereas a tifo within the stands learn “Aquí empieza una nueva eraqui,” that means “In the present day begins a brand new period.” Within the heart of the pitch, Lionel Messi received the sport underway and inside 10 minutes, he scored the membership’s first objective there in entrance of a stand that bears his identify.
“To see this stadium come to life after years and years of making an attempt to get this stadium up and working in Miami, is one thing that is very particular,” membership co-owner and founder David Beckham mentioned.
“I got here to America and the MLS 20 years in the past, and I made a number of guarantees. Twelve years in the past, I made a number of guarantees once more, asserting that I used to be coming to Miami. In the present day, it is only a dream come true for us… In the present day I stand in our new dwelling, we’re champions of MLS and have the perfect participant within the historical past of the sport enjoying in Miami.”
It has been a very long time coming for everybody concerned with Inter Miami, however notably for Beckham. His dream to construct a Miami Dade-based stadium started in 2014, moments after MLS commissioner Don Garber formally awarded Beckham the growth franchise. He envisioned a waterfront vacation spot based mostly within the coronary heart of town to construct a 20,000-30,000-seater stadium.
Beckham’s first bid focused land subsequent to the Kaseya Heart, the Miami Warmth’s dwelling, with views of Biscayne Bay and Downtown, however his preliminary efforts had been rapidly shut down by town, forcing him to unsuccessfully chase leads in Little Havana and Overtown.
By 2018, Jorge and Jose Mas, founders of the Miami-based building and engineering firm MasTec, joined Inter Miami’s possession and the seek for a venue.
With no lease settlement in sight and the staff’s MLS debut quick approaching, the brand new possession group determined to rework Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale as a brief answer. After an nearly $100 million facelift that included a coaching facility, a number of observe fields and a redone 20-000 seat stadium, Inter Miami ready to debut on the then-newly named DRV PNK stadium.
However the push for a everlasting dwelling by no means stopped.
Beckham and the Mas brothers started conversations for the positioning of the Melreese golf course in 2018 after 60% of voters accredited the referendum that approved town to barter and execute a 99-year lease. It then took one other 4 years to be formally accredited, however Beckham and the Mas brothers lastly secured the positioning they craved.
“This can be a dream come true,” membership co-owner Jorge Mas mentioned. “This has been a stadium that was born from a dream, which was to create a first-class stadium in my hometown to have fun soccer. Miami is right now a capital of the world, and it will likely be the capital of soccer, particularly with our membership, with our captain, Leo Messi.”
On the sphere, Austin FC spoiled the occasion early on as winger Guilherme Biro scored the primary official objective at Nu Stadium within the sixth minute. That was till Messi received proceedings again on observe with a well-weighted header. For the primary time, however actually not the final, the complete stadium chanted Messi’s identify.
Beckham and Mas received their dream second, however not the dream end: It would not finish with out additional setback: winger Jayden Nelson restored Austin’s early within the second half. It wasn’t till the ultimate minutes of the sport {that a} objective from Miami striker Luis Suárez, who transformed on the again publish from a nook, managed to salvage some extent.
Suarez is likely one of the greatest gamers of his technology, however he has struggled with osteoarthritis in current seasons and hadn’t scored in a aggressive sport since Oct. 11, 2025. His strike, then, got here at simply the best time. He may have had a winner moments later, too: Messi fired a free-kick at objective as the sport ticked in direction of stoppage-time, and the ball bounced off the publish earlier than Suarez nodded it dwelling. Nevertheless, he was dominated offside, and the objective was disallowed.
A draw wasn’t the best begin that Miami had in thoughts, however, like the remainder of the Miami Freedom Park sports activities complicated surrounding Nu Stadium, this staff is a piece in progress. “I believed in Miami, and Miami believes in us,” Beckham mentioned.
For now, Miami will proceed to hunt its first victory in a metropolis and a stadium they will lastly name dwelling.
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