David Beckham wants to make Inter Miami a brand like the New York Yankees
David Beckham, co-owner of Inter Miami, watches the Major League Soccer game against Cruz Azul at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 21, 2023. /CFP
David Beckham, co-owner of the Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami, outlined his goal for the team: to become a world-leading brand like the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB).
“I said, ‘What I want is the New York Yankees,’” Beckham said in an interview with The Athletic. “Whether you’re a baseball fan, whether you’re a fan of the Yankees, whether you love New York, I want to create a brand like they have.”
“You see the Yankees hat and straight away you know what it is. I want people walking around in our baseball caps knowing that’s a Miami cap, that’s a Miami brand. Even if you’re not a soccer fan, you want to wear the jersey and the cap,” he added.
Lionel Messi (L) of Inter Miami shoots in the Major League Soccer game against Atlanta United at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida July 25, 2023. /CFP
Miami became the most eye-catching club in North America after signing seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi this summer. Having played only two games for the club, Messi already made highlights for the fans, including scoring the free kick winner in stoppage time against Cruz Azul.
“Leo has now won everything you can as a player. The World Cup must have been the icing on the cake. He saw this as a project, a legacy, and I don’t think many players see that. They see the opportunity to play in different places, but Leo saw he could not just change the face of football in this country, he could inspire the next generation, and there’s no better way of doing that than by walking on our pitch in Miami and having all of the kids talking about him, watching and learning,” Beckham said.
David Beckham of LA Galaxy controls the ball in the friendly against Wellington Phoenix FC at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, December 1, 2007. /CFP
“He’s also about making this game bigger and better in this country – he could do that, he will do that and he already has done that. It’s not just the whole of Miami talking about Leo, it’s the whole of America, the whole world,” Beckham added.
Beckham, as a former English national team member, joined the MLS with the LA Galaxy from Real Madrid in 2007, which became a game-changer for the North American league.
“When I made the move, I was 32 and had come from Real Madrid. I got criticism because I was going to a league that had 13, 14 teams and only six stadiums that were soccer-specific,” Beckham recalled. “A few people of a high level did hit out, but I was ready for the challenge. People were saying, ‘You’re chancing this.’ For me, it was never about that. I’ve always loved America, loved the opportunity America brought to the world and loved the scale. I always thought if I could ever live in America and do something that was going to change the face of the game here – and bring what I knew from Europe to this part of the world – I want to be part of that.”
