Beckham plans to make Miami team a global soccer franchise

By David Adams MIAMI (Reuters) – Former England soccer captain David Beckham is set to announce on Wednesday that he is exercising his option to become the owner of a Major League Soccer team in Miami. “There’s going to be a few bumps along the way, but we’re going to make the team in Miami not just the best team in America, we’re going to take the team global,” Beckham told a reception for city leaders at Miami’s performing arts center on Tuesday night. A final deal to grant the franchise to Beckham could be several months away though, sources close to the negotiations said, with a stadium location and financing still requiring approval from the MLS board for his team to become the 22nd club of the top U.S. professional soccer league. The international soccer star’s investment group and MLS Commissioner Don Garber are planning to make the announcement on Wednesday morning at Miami’s gleaming new bayfront art museum, the sources said.