Inter Miami's Nu Stadium "born out of a dream" | OneFootball

By Jaime Uribarri

First, they got their GOAT. Then, they won MLS Cup presented by Audi, among other trophies. Now, Inter Miami FC are hours away from making another dream come true.

“It’s almost surreal,” managing owner Jorge Mas told reporters ahead of welcoming Austin FC for Saturday’s inaugural match at Nu Stadium, their brand-new, 26,700-seat soccer-specific venue (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV).

“… Saturday’s going to be an amazing day.”

Crowning jewel

Nu Stadium, and the Miami Freedom Park project it anchors, is the culmination of a dream years in the making for the Mas brothers and fellow co-owner David Beckham. All three were key players from the beginning, with Beckham exercising the option to establish a new MLS club in South Florida in February 2014. 

Inter Miami CF were officially launched four years later, with the league’s 25th club making their debut as an expansion side during the 2020 season. 

The Herons called Fort Lauderdale home for the next six years, building a global brand and reputation thanks to the transformational summer 2023 arrival of Lionel Messi and a cohort of fellow superstars. 

Now, they’re finally home in Miami proper. And they’re ready to take the next step towards worldwide expansion in their new digs. 

“This is a stadium that was born out of a dream. Six years ago, we didn’t have a club,” said Mas. “For us it’s important, and it was always a dream to build a special football stadium. It is a global sport; we’re a global city. 

“I want this to be the home of football in the United States of America.”

Messi mania

Without question, Messi has been Inter Miami’s biggest catalyst for success.

In his almost three years at the club, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has led the Herons to MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield and Leagues Cup titles. That's all while attracting fellow superstars Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, among others. 

Suárez and De Paul remain, but it’s still Messi leading the charge and now chasing a third straight Landon Donovan MLS MVP award.

Inter Miami made that much clear in the lead-up to Nu Stadium’s opening by announcing the Leo Messi Stand, which will span parts of both the upper and lower bowls.

“I was talking to Leo there about the stadium, the experience, how he felt seeing the Lionel Messi stand when he walks out of the tunnel,” said Mas.

“For a living player, that’s unheard of.”

New era

As successful as Inter Miami’s journey has been so far, Mas hopes Nu Stadim can catapult the club to even greater heights on both the MLS and global stage. 

“This is a stadium of what can be… It’s all a personification of the process,” Mas said. “We open on April 4; that’ll be an amazing day. The demand for tickets is just wild. We’ll have a significant number of guests here. It’s gonna be a fantastic day, and then we move on. 

“And I’m already envisioning what we’re gonna do. Again, it’s about filling our rafters with trophies. That’s what it’s about.” 

This sentiment is shared at all levels of the club, especially for Academy-formed players who have witnessed Inter Miami’s evolution from the early days. 

“I mean, 2019 was our first year in the Academy. That’s when we really started imagining what the club could progress into,” said homegrown forward Dániel Pintér.

“First, we got our facility, then we got our stadium in Fort Lauderdale. But we always imagined a home in Miami.” 

For Mas, the ultimate dream is for Nu Stadium to leave a profound sporting, cultural and financial legacy in Miami for generations to come.

“Speaking for myself, my brother and David [Beckham], who played a role: this is a gift for my city.”