The long wait is finally over: Major League Soccer on Monday officially granted Miami an MLS expansion team. The announcement was made at an event held in Miami's Adrienne Arsht Center, featuring the club's ownership group comprised of local and global entrepreneurs who have an agreement in place to build a world-class soccer stadium: global soccer icon and former MLS player David Beckham; Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure, SoftBank board member and longtime Miami resident and entrepreneur; Jorge and José Mas, the Miami-based leaders of telecommunications and construction giant MasTec; Masayoshi Son, founder and CEO of SoftBank; and entertainment entrepreneur and manager Simon Fuller. “It is with tremendous pride that we welcome Miami to Major League Soccer,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a league release. “With David Beckham, Marcelo Claure, Jorge and José Mas, Masayoshi Son and Simon Fuller leading the way, we know the right people are in place and the time is right for Miami to become a great Major League Soccer city. This ownership is committed to bringing Miami the elite-level soccer team, stadium and fan experience it richly deserves. We look forward to working with the entire organization on a strategic and successful launch for Miami’s MLS club.”
