re: MLS Expansion

I'm thinking Beckham and his group of investors will build their own stadium with their own financing. He is getting the club for the bargain basement price of $25M and apparently has 12 investors chipping in the ownership group, including Simon Fuller and a Bolivian billionaire. Some interesting tidbits:

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His representatives are already looking at sites for a purpose-built soccer-only stadium, according to a well-placed source in Miami's business community.

"They have people looking real hard. They want to be in the urban core," the person said.

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Together with British entrepreneur Simon Fuller, whose management company 19 Entertainment handles Beckham's business affairs, Beckham later visited a 20,000-seat stadium at Florida International University.

Beckham was also accompanied by Bolivian-born billionaire Marcelo Claure, chief executive officer of Brightstar Corporation, a Miami-based wireless services company, who is also an avid soccer fan and owns one of Bolivia's top clubs, Bolivar.

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He has been approached by potential investors from all over the world about partnering on an MLS team, and Miami is the intended market because of its global appeal, passion for soccer, and its location as the gateway to Latin America. Many European and South American fans and players vacation in Miami, making it an attractive market for MLS expansion.

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Miami Herald story said Beckham's group is planning to build a $200M stadium with their own money. Look for the club to play in FIU's stadium or somewhere else for a year then move into their own stadium.