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[Cristhian Cinq-Mars]

On January 29, 2018, Major League Soccer (MLS) officially approved David Beckham's expansion team in Miami.[2][3] Since they began playing in the Eastern Conference in the 2020 season, the club has signed several high-profile players such as Blaise Matuidi, Gonzalo Higuan, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Lionel Messi and Luis Surez.

The club garnered international attention prior to their founding because of club president and co-owner Beckham, and again in 2023 with the aforementioned signing of Messi on a free transfer. Following the signing, the club won their first major trophy, the expanded 2023 Leagues Cup, the North American competitions for the CONCACAF region, which also qualified the team to the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup for the first time. The team's Forbes estimated value is $1.03 billion as of 2024[update], ranking second in the league behind Los Angeles FC.[4]

In November 2012, MLS commissioner Don Garber confirmed the league's renewed interest in placing an expansion franchise in Miami,[5] after the Miami Fusion folded following the 2001 season.[6] A Miami expansion team led by FC Barcelona and Marcelo Claure, a Bolivian businessman based in the city, announced an expansion bid in October 2008, with plans to begin play in 2011.[7] In March 2009, the league and Barcelona announced that Miami was no longer a candidate due to local market conditions.[8] Additionally, MLS expressed concerns about Miami's lack of fan interest in an MLS franchise, the fact that USL team Miami FC was not doing well,[according to whom?] and the plan to use FIU Stadium relegating the team to a secondary tenant in a college football stadium with an artificial surface.[9][10] However, Garber said that Miami would be an expansion target in the future.[11] Claure later joined David Beckham's group of investors for the Miami expansion bid that was accepted by the league in 2014.[12]

When David Beckham, whose business manager Simon Fuller had the idea[13] of giving him an option to purchase an expansion team at a price of $25 million when he joined the league in 2007,[14] ended his playing career in April 2013, the MLS held discussions with Fuller about several expansion targets, including Miami.[15] That same year, other investors, including Italian financier Alessandro Butini[16] and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross expressed interest in owning a Miami franchise as well.[17] In 2013, Fuller and Beckham discussed plans to buy an MLS soccer team in Miami [18]

On January 29, 2018, the Miami Beckham United group (consisting of Beckham, Claure, Fuller, Masayoshi Son [founder and CEO of SoftBank] and Jorge and Jos Mas, the Miami-based leaders of telecommunications and construction company MasTec) four years after the ownership's original announcement of pursuing a team, was awarded the twenty-fifth MLS franchise and was set to launch in the 2020 season.[30][31] The announcement represented part of a larger MLS expansion that would increase its number of teams to 26 by 2020 and 30 after that. Since Beckham's original announcement of his intention to place a team in Miami in 2014, Orlando City SC, New York City FC, Atlanta United FC, Minnesota United FC, Los Angeles FC, and FC Cincinnati have all begun MLS play. Paul McDonough was hired as sporting director effective August 4.[32] The team's ownership group was later renamed Miami Freedom Park LLC.[33] They announced Club Internacional de Ftbol Miami, shortened to Inter Miami CF, as the club's official name on September 5, 2018.[34] MLS returned to the South Florida area in 2018, when Inter Miami CF was announced. On January 29, 2018, the Miami Beckham United group, four years after the ownership's original announcement of pursuing a team, was awarded the twenty-fifth MLS franchise and launched in the 2020 season, playing on the site of Lockhart Stadium at the new Chase Stadium. Former Fusion coach Ray Hudson would go on to work as a color commentator for Inter Miami, while former Fusion player Chris Henderson is the club's current Sporting Director.[35][36]

The 2019 MLS Expansion Draft was a special draft for the Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion teams Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC that was held on November 19, 2019. On October 6, 2019, Inter Miami CF won the coin toss for the Expansion Priority Draft, and chose to select first in the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft.[37] Lists of protected rosters and draft-eligible players were released by MLS on November 16, 2019.[38][39]

DeAndre Yedlin joined Inter Miami on February 2, 2022, on a four-year contract with an additional one-year option.[80] "It's almost a DP signing for us, really, in terms of his quality," Head coach Phil Neville said. "He's played at the top, top level in the top soccer nations in the world. So we hope his experience, his quality, his leadership, and the fact that he's American I think is really important. We have a young, new team and we want experience in there as well." Yedlin stated "I know when I was in MLS, [defending] was a weakness in my game," after the move was announced. "Not only 1-v-1 but positionally. But now I'm coming back, being in a lot of different situations and a lot of different formations, playing different positions to a point now where I'm a lot more comfortable in those situations. I think I'm a lot better defender now than I was when I left."[81]

On June 1, 2023, Inter Miami announced that the club had parted ways with Neville. At the time, the club was placed last in the Eastern Conference.[82] Four days later, then seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi announced his intention to join the club as a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain, turning down an offer to play for Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal and ruling out a return to Barcelona.[83] Messi signed his Designated Player contract on July 15, 2023, joining the team through the 2023 MLS season.[84] Argentine and former Bara manager Gerardo Martino was appointed as the head coach of the club on June 28 and joined Miami the following month.[85]

In November 2023, Inter Miami were going to visit two Chinese Super League teams, Qingdao Hainiu F.C. and Chengdu Rongcheng F.C., in friendly matches as part of the club's first ever international tour.[106] However, it was canceled due to unforeseen circumstances in China.[107]

In the summer of 2023, plans were made for Surez to join Inter Miami for a reunion with former FC Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. However, his contract with Grmio did not allow him to join the club. In October, Inter Miami's head coach, Gerardo Martino, said that the club was planning on the possible arrival of Surez in 2024, having had an analysis of the 2024 season with and without Surez.[108] By November, multiple reports indicated that Surez was set to join Inter Miami on a one-year deal with an option for a further year.[109][110][111] On 22 December 2023, Inter Miami officially announced Surez would join the club for the 2024 season.[112][113]In December 2023, Inter Miami signed striker Luis Suarez with a one year Contract with an option for a further year.[114]

In 2024, Inter Miami began their first seven preseason matches of the year, going against the El Salvador national team, FC Dallas, Hong Kong XI, Vissel Kobe, and Newell's Old Boys, as well as participating in the Riyadh Season Cup against two Saudi Pro League teams being Al-Hilal and Al Nassr.[115] However, there was a massive controversy with the Hong Kong match as Messi was not active for the match due to an injury which caused fans to demand refunds and attack promotional posters of Messi. Messi would be active in the match against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo two days later, which also caused many Hong Konger and Chinese fans to accuse Messi of skipping out of the Hong Kong match in order to embarrass the local government as well as holding racist views against Hong Kongers and Chinese people due to China and Japan having had very strained relations.[116] The Argentine Football Association and Chinese Football Association paused their partnership as a result of the fallout.[117]

On February 23, 2024, Federico Redondo completed his transfer to Major League Soccer club Inter Miami CF, signing a contract that extends through the 2027 season, with an option for the club to extend it through 2028.[118][119] He joined the club under the U22 Initiative, brought in as a season-ending injury replacement for another U22 Initiative player, Facundo Faras.[118] The transfer was contingent upon the successful receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 visa, formalities necessary for players moving between countries and competing in the United States, respectively.[118] Considered to be a classy and promising young player in the media, his playing style, reading of the game, height, and physique have led pundits to liken him to his father, Fernando, as well as Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets.[120][121][122][123]

The Miami Beckham United group unveiled the team's name and colors on September 5, 2018.[125] The name was announced as Club Internacional de Ftbol Miami (Inter Miami CF). The crest, designed in style and colors that recall the city's Art Deco architectural tradition, displays two great white herons with interlocking legs forming a letter M. Between the herons is an eclipse, the sun bearing seven rays in an homage to the number Beckham often wore as a player.[126][127][128][129][130] The full achievement displays the team name encircling all with the Roman numerals MMXX representing the year 2020, the inaugural season of play.[131] The three pointed shield represents the three main communities of South Florida: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach.[132][133] The club's colors are pink, white, black, and a bit of blue such as the "La Palma" jersey.[134] Inter Miami's current sponsorship is with the Royal Caribbean Group.[135]

The species of the birds in the crest was the subject of debate after its announcement and unveiling, with some speculating them to be flamingos and egrets.[136] The team later announced that the birds are white herons.[137]

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