David Beckham announces new Miami team franchise for the MLS

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Midday Monday at the Adrienne Arsht Center is party time for Miami - and David Beckham. The former England Captain David Beckham has confirmed what had long been known –a Major League Soccer expansion club will be coming to the city , and that he will be one of the owners.

After the unfurling of the large Miami banner, an emotional Beckham comes on the confetti-covered stage, and abandons a well-rehearsed script.

The team will play in a 25-thousand-seat (25,000), privately funded stadium to be built in the city's Over town neighbourhood. Beckham's group will also build a training centre and an academy focuses on developing local players, but the team's name and logo are remaining uncertain. Nevertheless it is coming, which is all the ardent soccer fans of Miami have wanted to hear for years.

The return of the Miami market to MLS is the latest chapter in the league's steady expansion. In 2006, there were 12 MLS clubs and the expansion fee to enter the league was 10 million US Dollars.

David Beckham addresses the crowd during the press conference announcing an MLS franchise in Miami. /VCG Photo

Miami becomes the 25th franchise after the addition last month of expansion Nashville, which paid 150 million US Dollar entry fee. As part of former English star's playing contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Beckham had the right to establish an MLS franchise for 25 million US Dollars.

"I think the league is a lot more stable now to what it was 10, 15, 20 years ago, I think that's the difference. Obviously we are really aware, people have made us very aware of it being a tough sports market but I don't see it like that. You know, we're bringing a global game to a global city and I think that's what we bring," said David Beckham, former England Captain.

"I see them as passionate, I see them as loyal. They seem ready. I don't know if you heard them out there but they are ready for this team, they deserve a team in this city, they deserve a team they can be proud of and we plan on giving that to them," he added.