Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham spoke of a dream come true as his team played its first ever game at Nu Stadium on Saturday — a 2-2 draw with Austin FC.
The Englishman, who helped to found the club in 2018 after six years with LA Galaxy and another six getting Miami up and running, has overseen the side’s meteoric rise to MLS champions and the home of Lionel Messi.
“When I came to America and the MLS 20 years ago, my dream was to win championships, help raise the game of soccer that I love so much and to build my own team,” Beckham said ahead of the draw against Austin.
“Thirteen years ago, I announced Miami was my choice. We had no name. We had no fans. We had no stadium. Today, I stand in our new home.
“We are champions of the MLS. We have the best player in the history of the game playing in Miami. Dreams really can come true.”
With the club having made its MLS debut in 2020, Miami has become home to some of LaLiga’s biggest stars of the last 15 years — Gonzalo Higuaín, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Luis Suárez and Messi have all played for Beckham’s team, where Javier Mascherano has been the head coach since Nov. 2024.
Following Messi’s arrival in 2023, Miami won the Supporters’ Shield in 2024 and claimed their first MLS title in 2025, with the Argentine winning the league’s MVP award in both seasons.
Up until now, though, the team has had to play their home games in Fort Lauderdale, about 25 miles north of Miami.
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Messi and Beckham were far from the only celebrities involved with Saturday’s game. Actor Matthew McConaughey, who is part of Austin FC’s ownership group, even wrote an open letter to Beckham to congratulate him on his nearly two-decade relationship with the league.
“As Austin visits Miami today for a little shindig on your new pitch, I want to first shout out a sincere ‘thank you’ — you didn’t create soccer over here in the US, but you damn sure supercharged it,” the actor wrote.
“When you came to the Galaxy you gave MLS fresh legitimacy, you turned games into events, and essentially changed MLS from a proving ground to a premier destination. THANK YOU.”
Information from ESPN’s Lizzy Becherano and The Associated Press was used in this report.