Major League Soccer in Miami
- January 06, 2026
Since superstar Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami CF in 2023, the team has become the most popular team in Major League Soccer (MLS) and one of the most recognizable football clubs in the world. Today, you’ll see pink and black Inter Miami Messi jerseys on every continent. With a new stadium opening in Miami this year, the 2025 MLS Cup champions are beginning a new, exciting chapter in their history.
Miami Freedom Park, Inter Miami’s New Home
For the 2026 MLS season, the team will begin play at Miami Freedom Park, its brand-new home on the site of the former Melreese Country Club. It’s the centerpiece of a billion-dollar development just southeast of Miami International Airport that will ultimately include the 25,000-seat soccer stadium, a 750-room hotel, a 58-acre park, a million-square-foot commercial complex with retail, restaurants and offices and a 4,600-car parking garage.
Inter Miami plays its first game at Miami Freedom Park on April 4, 2026, against Austin FC, giving Miami yet another sports gem to shine alongside Hard Rock Stadium, loanDepot park and the Kaseya Center.
Miami Gets a Major League Soccer Team
In February 2014, another soccer superstar – David Beckham – announced that he was exercising his option to own an MLS expansion club and place it in the Miami area. Four years later, in 2018, MLS made it official, announcing Miami as its 25th club. Joining Miami business leader Jorge Mas and Beckham in the ownership group were Jorge’s brother, Jose Mas, Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure, SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son and “American Idol” producer Simon Fuller. That September, the group announced that the team would be called Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, or Inter Miami CF for short.
In 2021, Beckham and the Mas brothers bought out the other owners and announced that Ares Management had acquired $150-million preferred equity investment. While waiting to finalize plans for a new stadium in Miami, they opted to tear down the old Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale and rebuild on the site, creating a temporary home for Inter Miami. The team began play in March 2020.
Messi Comes to Miami
After winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina’s national team, Messi, a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, was looking for a change. In early June 2023, he announced his plans to move his family to North America and play for Inter Miami. In October 2025, he signed a contract extension that will keep him with the club through the 2028 MLS season. He will also get an ownership stake in the team after he retires and endorsement deals with Adidas and Apple, among others.
As one might expect, adding Messi to the roster made Inter Miami an instant contender, culminating in the team’s first MLS Cup championship in late 2025. It helped that after signing Messi, the team also signed Messi’s Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez, all top players in Europe.
Shortly after Messi’s arrival, Inter Miami won the Leagues Cup, an annual tournament between the best teams in Mexico’s Liga MX and Major League Soccer. The following season, Inter Miami won the MLS Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the team with the most points during the regular season. The club faltered in the playoffs but rebounded in 2025 with an impressive showing in the FIFA Club World Cup, becoming the first MLS club to beat a European team in an official tournament, and an impressive run to the MLS championship.
About Inter Miami’s Emblem
Inter Miami has one of the most distinctive crests in MLS, a tribute to the colors, art, nature and diversity that make Miami such a special place. The pink and black circular logo is emblazoned with the club’s name wrapping around the edge. In the center, below the city’s name, two herons stand back to back, with the Roman numerals MMXX below.
Herons, which are indigenous birds to South Florida, symbolize freedom, power, protection and patience, according to Greek mythology. In the logo, they stand back to back with their legs crossed to form an “M” for Miami. The three-pointed shield behind them represents Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Finally, the Roman numerals represent 2020, the year the team began play.