See all posts

In 2017, I finished the study of Football Business at the Cruyff Institute. My final thesis was about David Beckham’s new project: starting a football club in Miami.

Two and a half years later, Inter Miami CF is about to start their inaugural season in the MLS. While they probably haven’t read my thesis, I can see some similarities between the club and my plan.

“Pride, Passion, and Victory”- Football Player’s Determination

I wrote about two important factors that will decide if this club is going to be a success and how the club is managing this.

Connecting with the city for brandConnecting With the City for Brand

The most important thing for Inter Miami CF will be the connection with the people living in the Miami region.

Keep in mind that the Miami Fusion had to stop in 2001 because there was no market for a football team in Southern Florida.

I quickly checked the Miami population to be sure there would be supporters in the city. With a Spanish-speaking population, more than 70% of the population is Hispanic or Latino, making it the second biggest city in the US.

The majority of these individuals are from Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti, Cuba, and Jamaica. It is a given that Miami is a true melting pot of cultures.

How can make all these different people a a fan of your club? My first suggestion was to use these nationalities in your roster. So let’s take a look into the current roster of Inter Miami CF and the nationalities of the players.

Miami has currently 22 players on their roster, and 7 of them have American nationality.

The other players come from Puerto Rico, Panama, Jamaica, Venezuela, Guam, Haïti, Mexico, Canada, Vietnam, Colombia, Argentina, and Germany.

Some of these players also have American nationality, but you can say their team is as cultural as the city of Miami.

I think that it will be a huge factor that the fans have a player from their own country or the country of their background in the team. I don’t think it will take long for a Cuban player to sign his contract in Miami.

My second recommendation was to invest time and energy in Miami’s youth. Having a strong youth department will help you produce more than just future standout players.

However, you will also establish a connection with the community and aid in these young players’ competency development. Youth and parents will flock to your club in droves if you can plan activities that encourage kids to get active or have an impact on the community.

Remember that local audiences will be drawn in by seeing players from the youth department and surrounding area in the starting lineup.

At this moment, Inter Miami CF has 6 youth teams starting from the under 12’s. All of these youth players are from Florida which will make sure that there will be chances for young footballers in this region.

The brand and the digital strategyThe Brand and The Digital Strategy

For the second important factor, I suggested that the club should develop their (online) brand as quickly as possible.

They have to give the fans a name and a face so they know who they can support. In 2,5 years, the club has done a lot about their brand to position themselves in Miami. It started with the reveal of the logo and the name, which was in September 2018. More about this is explained in the video below, which can be found on their YouTube channel.

• Inter Miami Statement on Website

“Inter Miami CF will celebrate everything that makes Miami extraordinary,” the club’s website states. We’ll speak several languages and be multicultural.

Utilizing the city’s rich history and unparalleled culture, we aim to establish novel customs, ceremonies, and emblems that garner global admiration. We are going to introduce elite football to this globally recognized city, permanently.

Football embodies our creativity, excitement, individuality, and multiculturalism. Football makes people from all over the world want to be here.

The club portrays this precise message in all of its advertisements and content. A Miami club that represents the entire city.

But what I think will be the main factor for the success of this club will be how they will manage this brand in the next year(s).

“It’s Hard to play Against Us; It’s Harder to play for us”

In my opinion, this is the football club with the biggest marketing potential in the world. Take a look at the social media data for example.

David Beckham has just as many followers of one of the biggest clubs in the world, Manchester United. According to the BBC, their annual revenue last year was around $830 million.

That is the same amount as all the MLS teams combined. I’m not saying that Inter Miami will get this amount in the upcoming years, but if you can find a way to combine your unique selling points and connect them with potential sponsors you’ll come quite far.

They’ve already announced their first agreement with Heineken last August.

• Updated News

It is very interesting to see how a new club comes to life in a city that has been waiting several years for a professional football club. It always have been an ambitious project but the group of owners have given everything to make it work. On 14 March, Inter Miami will play their first match against Beckham’s former club Los Angeles Galaxy.

Player list of inter miamiPlayer list of Inter Miami

• Lionel Messi
• Luis Suarez
• Jordi Alba
• Sergio Busquets
• Benjamin Cremaschi
• Leonardo Campana
• Drake Callender
• Serhiy Kryvtsov
• David Ruiz
• Robert Taylor
• Shanyder Borgelin
• Christopher McVey
• Nicolás Marcelo Stefanelli
• DeAndre Yedlin
• Noah Allen
• Julian Gressel
• Ryan Sailor
• Franco Negri
• CJ dos Santos
• Tomás Avilés

Players of the Inter Miami 2024. Dive into a main list and their details.

Inter Miami club creates history in the Football world. Salute to their greater footballer and follow them for well-being.

---