Nu Stadium’s first game of any kind saw the South Florida club accomplish a long-held goal barely under the deadline
Lionel Messi may have scored, captained the side and had a quarter of the new building named in his honor, but this was unmistakably Inter Miami co-owner Sir David Beckham’s night.
The inaugural game at Nu Stadium in Miami – an entertaining 2-2 draw with Austin FC – was the culmination of the former England captain’s arduous, thirteen-year odyssey to first establish an MLS team in Miami, then fill it with superstars, win major honors and, critically, build a world class arena for the team to play in.
“I came to America and MLS twenty years ago with a dream – to win championships, to help grow the game of soccer that I love so much, and one day, to build a club of my own.” he said, addressing fans from the field prior to kick off. “We had no name. We had no fans. We had no stadium. Today I stand in our new home. We are the champions of MLS. We have the best player in the history of the game playing in Miami.”
This was his victory lap. He even got his good friend Marc Anthony to sing the national anthem.
