Most of the clubs we celebrate on this blog are more than a century old. Inter Miami turn just 9: on 29 January 2018 MLS officially approved David Beckham's team in Miami. Within a few years it gained one of the most recognisable crests in the game, a pink shirt unlike any other and, of course, Lionel Messi.

A clause from 2007

The story starts long before the founding. In 2007, when Beckham signed for MLS, his contract included an option to own an expansion team in the future. On 5 February 2014 the league announced that he had exercised it and chosen Miami. It took almost four more years for the green light in 2018. Today the owners include Beckham and the brothers Jorge and Jose Mas, who became majority shareholders in 2021.

Herons, a sun and seven rays

On 5 September 2018 the name, Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, and the crest were unveiled. At its centre are two great white herons, which, according to the club, stand for protection and patience. Their legs interlock to form an M. Between them is an eclipse with seven rays, a nod to Beckham's number 7. The surrounding circle is inspired by the Miami Circle, an ancient indigenous site in the city centre, and at the bottom it reads MMXX, the year of the first season. The three points of the shield stand for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. A small detail: the pink and black scheme had originally been proposed for the city's baseball team, the Marlins.

From heron white to the pink shirt

The first home kit, in 2020, was not pink. It was white, inspired by the heron's wings, with pink details and embossed birds in the fabric. Inside the collar was printed the club's motto, "Freedom to Dream". The first adidas away shirt was called RosaNegra: black with pink stripes. In 2022 came the first all-pink home kit, the Heartbeat Kit, dedicated to the fans, and from 2023 the pink became even brighter. The colour recalls the flamingos that once filled South Florida, as well as the city's pastel Art Deco buildings.

A difficult start

The first official match was on 1 March 2020, a 1-0 defeat away to Los Angeles FC. The first win took a while and came on 23 August 2020, 3-2 against Orlando City, a rival from the same state. The team's home became the ground in Fort Lauderdale, first known as DRV PNK Stadium, which was renamed Chase Stadium in February 2024.

The Messi era

Everything changed in July 2023. On 15 July Messi signed, and within a month the club won the first trophy in its history. On 19 August 2023 the Argentine scored in the Leagues Cup final against Nashville, which was decided 10-9 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. In 2024 came the Supporters' Shield for the best regular-season record. And on 6 December 2025 came the big step: a 3-1 win over Vancouver in the MLS Cup final, with Messi providing two assists and being named MVP. It was the club's first final and first championship. If you want something from this era, take a look at the black Miami MESSI hoodie.

Happy birthday to the youngest club in our collection. Nine years is not a long time, but Miami's herons have already left their own pink mark on the football map.

See Inter Miami shirts and merchandise at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Chase Stadium – CubanoBoi, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC0.