David Beckham’s Inter Miami posted drone footage of their state-of-the-art training facility - and it looks incredible.
Beckham stunned the football world when he joined the MLS in 2007, signing for LA Galaxy after leaving Real Madrid. He took a pay cut to complete the move, although the former England captain had a unique clause whereby he could purchase an expansion club for just $25million (£20.44m)
The 47-year-old is now the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF, which started competing in the MLS in the 2020 season. It was a long road to complete the paperwork and see his dream come to fruition, but Beckham decided to leave no stone unturned as he constructed one of the best training grounds for his club.
Beckham has invested $60m (£49m) into Inter Miami's training facilities - and it appears every penny was worth it. The Florida Blue Training Centre is a whopping 50,000-square-feet and sits adjacent to club's DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which holds 19,100 fans.
The facility includes six natural grass fields, a state-of-the-art gym, a locker room, a training room, a pool, hot tubs, ice baths and a fully-staffed kitchen. The Training Center is the home for all of the Clubs’ youth and development teams, ranging from the U13 Academy all the way up to the MLS first team.
The remarkable facility cost three times more than Premier League leaders Arsenal ’s own training ground, which shows how MLS clubs are truly invested in establishing themselves in a crowded sporting landscape in the United States. Last year, Inter Miami received permission to build a new stadium, although the club will maintain the Florida Blue training centre.
Perhaps the breathtaking facilities is rubbing off on the players. After making the playoffs last year in just their third season of existence, the franchise sit seventh in the Eastern Conference with two wins and a pair of losses in their opening four games of the season.
The club can certainly attract stars. Following the retirement of Gonzalo Higuain at the conclusion of last season - the club’s top scorer in each of the last two campaigns with 12 and 16 league goals respectively - Inter Miami brought in Josef Martinez from Atlanta United. The Venezuelan is the most decorated player in MLS history.
Meanwhile, Inter Miami have been linked with a move for Lionel Messi as he is scheduled to be a free agent this summer. The World Cup winning caption is in negotiations with his current club Paris Saint-Germain about extending his stay in the French capital, but he could choose to go to the MLS as his career winds down/
The 35-year-old remains one of the best players in the world and won the Golden Ball at the World Cup in Qatar, which ran in November and December. Messi is considered the greatest player in football history by many and his signing would prove to be a monumental one for North American soccer, perhaps even eclipsing Pele’s move to the New York Cosmos in 1975.
