Inter Miami celebrates new stadium with house-warming party
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Inter Miami fans celebrate the new stadium. Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images
Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates ran onto the field as "Hustlin" by Miami rap star Rick Ross blared through stadium speakers.
- Adopted 305-er Marc Anthony sang the national anthem, and pink smoke filled Nu Stadium as the first of several fireworks lit up the sky over Inter's new Miami home.
Why it matters: The club threw a very Miami housewarming party on Saturday night to christen its new stadium.
- David Beckham chose Miami as the home of his new football club 13 years ago. And on Saturday, he and Inter co-owners Jorge and Jose Mas delivered on their promise to bring a stadium to the city.
- "We couldn't be happier to welcome you home," Beckham told fans before Saturday's stadium-opening match against Austin FC, which ended in a nail-biting 2-2 draw after goals from Messi and Luis Suarez.
Driving the news: Eager fans showed up several hours before the start of the match to barbecue, shop at the team store and enjoy a pre-game fan zone outside the stadium with food trucks, giveaways and activities.
- Children participated in youth soccer drills on two mini pitches outside the stadium and people snapped photos as they listened to a DJ spin reggaeton hits.
The vibes: The atmosphere inside was electric, too. Fans in the standing-room-only supporters' section played instruments and chanted.
- Inter Miami — known for its pyrotechnics — turned it up a notch with fireworks shooting from behind the goal after each score.
- Fans were given pink light-up batons to bang together. DJ Cedric Gervais performed at the stadium after the match.
And despite concerns about traffic and parking, fans interviewed by Axios said it was smooth sailing getting to the stadium.
Yes, but: Like many house parties, the hosts swept some things under the rug and piled some unfolded laundry behind a locked bedroom door.
- There is still construction going on outside the stadium and some landscaping work is unfinished.
- Fan pathways were bordered by tarp-lined fences concealing heavy machinery and piles of debris.
- Inside the stadium, some fans complained of limited food vendors and long lines.
The other side: Fans interviewed by Axios say they did not care about the unfinished details around the stadium or the ongoing construction.
- "It's a normal part of the process," Miami Beach resident Nestor Tamer told me. "The most important thing is that you can play matches inside."
What they're saying: Alessandro Mion, who carpooled to the match with his cousins from Miami Springs, says he much prefers Nu Stadium to Inter Miami's old home in Fort Lauderdale.
- "This is a work of art compared to that."