David Beckham’s Inter Miami will launch in 2020 and already thoughts have turned to who will look pretty in the new club’s pink kit.
While MLS continues to grow, football may well be a tough sell in South Florida and the former United and England man will be seeking some big names to grab the attention – and ticket revenue.
Few come bigger than his fellow wearer of the fabled Old Trafford number seven shirt, Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese will have a year remaining on his recently-penned Juventus deal by the time Miami start their life across the Atlantic and a trip to the States – and the commercial opportunities that represents – will not be lost on Ronaldo and his people.
He is already close to being a household name in a country where soccer remains seen as a second-class sport in many sections of society and, at 35 and no doubt still in great shape, the opportunity could be too good to pass up on.
A bid for Ronaldo would no doubt have to break the MLS record. However, it works both ways. Juventus have already seen shirt sales and social media presence rocket after the forward’s arrival from Real Madrid with reports claiming that all of Juventus’s matches – home and away – will sell out this season.
Beckham will no doubt be making use of his own extensive network of contacts as team building takes shape and there are other, obvious targets. While Zlatan Ibrahimovic may well have hung up his boots, that may not be the case for Wayne Rooney, who has impressed since his recent arrival at DC United. Rooney will also be 35 when Miami kick off.
It would also come as no surprise if the squad included a large number of players from Central and South America. According to the 2010 census, 70% of Miami’s population is Latino, with the same number speaking Spanish. The franchise’s full name - Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami – is a nod to that.
The city is also host to a huge Colombian population. While James Rodriguez, at 29, may be out of reach the same could not be said of Radamel Falcao. Although the striker’s time at United was a disaster, he has since rebounded back at Monaco and, at 34, will feel he could do a job. Falcao has previously spoken of a desire to play Stateside and Miami seems like a good fit.
Do not rule out other Premier League stars. With another two sterling years at Liverpool under his belt coupled with an appetite for travel, Spanish-speaking James Milner may well fancy a change of scenery after spending the vast majority of his career in the north of England.
As a member of the Class of ’92, Beckham will no doubt be looking to tap into the local youth football scene. A likely expansion draft - which allows new clubs to take non-protected players from other established sides – will also come in useful.
But do not rule out a second version of Real Madrid’s Galacticos – albeit a bit greyer – rocking up on South Beach.