Friday 25 March 2016 10:14, UK
David Beckham and his fellow investors say they have purchased the private land needed for a football stadium in Miami.
The ownership group known as Miami Beckham United announced in a news release on Thursday that they had purchased six acres in the city's Overtown neighbourhood, just a block from the Miami River.
The deal comes after more than two years of failed attempts to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to three other sites.
The next step for Beckham and his partners is to buy another three-acre parcel from Miami-Dade County and secure zoning changes from the city of Miami.
Sites considered in the past were at PortMiami, downtown near the AmericanAirlines Arena, and near Marlins Park in Little Havana.
Beckham's partner Marcelo Claure, CEO of Sprint telecom company, said in a statement: "David, Simon, Tim and I have never been closer to realising our dream of fielding a soccer club that makes Miami proud.
"We have the right site, the right ownership group, and a loyal base of fans counting down the days until our first match. We're all-in on Overtown, and we couldn't be more excited about moving forward with plans to deliver the most responsible stadium in Miami history."
