BECKHAM CHOOSES MIAMI FOR MLS FRANCHISE

Retired England star David Beckham has chosen Miami for a new US Major League Soccer expansion team, a source familiar with the negotiations has said.

The former England captain who retired earlier this year after stints with Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan  and MLS club LA Galaxy, had been considering several locations and toured Miami this summer, meeting with city and county leaders. His MLS player contract included an option to create a new team for $25 million.

Beckham was still putting together a team of investors, the source said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Beckham's plans have yet to be officially announced. 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.

The greater Miami area has a large and growing Latin American population and local sports bars always draw large crowds during the World Cup every four years. in August.
More than 70,000 fans attended an International Champions Cup match in Miami between Real Madrid and Chelsea

The city briefly had an MLS team, the Miami Fusion, which played in neighbouring Fort Lauderdale. It joined MLS in 1998 but was closed by the then struggling league after four seasons.
The only professional team in the area is the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, which plays in the second-tier North American Football League.