David Beckham's Miami MLS expansion bid has yet to secure the stadium solution MLS officials have said is required, but the ownership group reiterated on Wednesday that it is confident of making the club a reality soon.
"The reality is that everything is progressing very well," a spokesperson for Miami Beckham United said on Wednesday, according to Reuters. "Miami is still David's number one choice and it will happen. The fans and the people of Miami are behind us and we hope to announce some positive and exciting news soon."
Beckham exercised his MLS expansion option back in February, and announced his intention to bring a club to Miami. Since then, the ownership group -- which includes telecommunications magnate Marcelo Claure and television mogul Simon Fuller -- has seen two proposed stadium sites, one at PortMiami and one next to American Airlines Arena, rejected by local authorities.
In his State of the League event on Tuesday, MLS Commissioner Don Garber was asked about the Miami expansion bid and reiterated the league's position that a viable stadium solution must be in place.
“What I would tell you is that we love Miami," he said. "Miami is a very cool, emerging market in this country as an influencer city. . . . We all know there have been some pro sports struggles there, so people question whether Miami can support an MLS team. I believe it can, but only if it has the right stadium."
Despite the setbacks on the stadium front, Beckham has always remained optimistic.
“Miami will happen,” Beckham said in September. “I said I want to bring a team here, and I will take a team to Miami. There are speed bumps along the way, and we’ve come up against those.”
