When David Beckham unveiled the logo for Inter Miami CF, I thought it was two flamingos with their legs intertwined to make the letter M. An easy assumption to make when the colors are black and pink. I also didn’t dwell too long on it. After moving across the country (again), I was transitioning my loyalties from LA Galaxy to Atlanta United. It wasn’t that hard because it was the same year ATL won the MLS Championship with star player Josef Martínez and iconic manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino.

Then came 2023, when David Beckham wrangled Josef, Tata, and some young Argentine up-start to join Inter Miami. This made me look at the logo a little closer. Egrets, I thought. It was an easy assumption because I felt r-egrets for not flying down from DC to see a match.

The Price of Greatness

Of course, I could’ve waited for Inter Miami to come to me. They are scheduled to play DC United on March 16 and May 18, 2024. But the DC-based MLS team is cashing in on the Messi-effect not selling individual tickets for those matches. Wait until those new season ticket holders realize Messi won’t even be at those games, as he will most likely be playing with the Argentina National Team.

Six-hundred and thirty-nine dollars and fifty-six cents. That was the total price for two tickets and all the Ticketmaster fees and taxes in the world to witness the greatest futbol player since Pelé and Maradona wear a pink kit and play for my hometown in my (adjacent) hometown.

Were there cheaper seats? Yes. But, according to my girl math, I got a deal because I turned this event into a winter vacation to Fort Lauderdale. And everyone knows that what you spend on vacation doesn’t really count. Plus, the cost of great seats at Chase Stadium was cheaper than the season ticket prices for DC United.

Home Opener 2024

A Wednesday night home opener, with gates opening at 6:30 pm, in a city 30 miles north of the city that bears the name of the team. Miamians are many things, but timely they are not.

I was staying in Fort Lauderdale Beach, so I spent a mere thirty minutes in traffic. If I would’ve made the trek from Miami, though, I might’ve still been parked on I-95.

I’ve never been one to tailgate, but for those who enjoy it, the stadium has a designated Fan Zone for all sorts of revelry. After a security check and ticket scan, we were in the newly minted Chase Stadium. The setup is reminiscent of the LA Galaxy’s complex in Carson, California, from the layout of the food vendors to the shape of the bleachers. I guess Beckham really did love his first MLS team.

Before heading up to our gilded seats, I made another poor economic choice by stopping at the team store for one small souvenir. I bought four things. Among them was a soccer scarf. They offered a variety of designs, but I wanted a very specific one.

“May I have the black one with the flamingos? Or the egrets? You know the birds,” I explained to a very nice merch saleswoman.

“I think they’re cranes,” she said. “That’s two-hundred and twenty-six dollars and eighty-one cents.”

Vice City Culture

There he was. In the flesh. Warming up. Kicking the ball to Luis Suárez (and not Josef, because he got traded to Montreal), seemingly oblivious that the entire stadium (or at least those fans that made it on time) were watching him and that his face was on the jumbotron the entire time. He was also unaware that he was being watched via FaceTime and WhatsApp by the family and friends of fans.

We might’ve been in Fort Lauderdale, but the vibe was very Miami. The warm-up was set to the entire discography of Bad Bunny. The announcer addressed the crowd almost entirely in Spanish. No one stopped what they were doing or paused their conversation for the National Anthem. Kick-off was late. When the ball finally rolled, they played Gloria Estefan’s perennial hit, Conga. The fans strolled in halfway through the first half, blatantly unaware that they were blocking the view while Messi and company were attacking the goal. Some of the women in attendance wore patent leather sandals or dangerously high heels that clacked up and down the metal bleachers. Some of the men in attendance ogled those women while their wives scrolled through their phones.

And even in this potential powder keg of chaos, we found peace with each other, roaring in unison when Messi assisted Robert Taylor in scoring the first goal.

If You Go

Who are you kidding? You’re going to drive there. Chase Stadium (formerly DRV PNK Stadium) is in Fort Lauderdale, not Miami, at 1350 NW 55 Street. You could take the Brightline or a rideshare, but if you’re a Miamian, you’ll drive there. The parking at the stadium is well organized and you can pre-purchase your spot (which I recommend). If you don’t mind walking, you can find cheaper event parking at entrepreneurial body shops and office parks down the street.

Clear bag. Read the bag rules before bringing your Louis Vuitton purse to the game. There are lockers you can rent if you accidentally brought your luggage to the game.

Miami Time. The game does not start on time, and the fans do not get there on time either. Be prepared to have to let people in your row in the middle of a corner kick. You will also need to be prepared to let people out of your row when they get busted for not sitting in their assigned seats.

Super fans. The supporters section is comprised of South Florida’s most talented percussionists. The beat is relentless and varies from samba to merengue. But don’t bother buying a scarf. No one raises it over their heads here.

The food is great, but… The food vendors get overwhelmed at the half. Not sure if it was first-game pains, but some ran out of menu items. Also, the food lines create a bottleneck for fans who are trying to walk from one side to the other.

A word to the gays. Particularly the lesbians and enbies. Don’t expect the traditional MLS or NWSL “everyone-belongs” vibe. While the team mantra is very much centered on freedom, they’re not talking to us. There are no gay flags free flowing in the stands, and no Pride theme nights in July or any other month. Don’t let the pink fool you, Latin machismo is alive and well. As an anecdote, I put my hand on my wife’s knee because I was laughing at something she said, and the gentleman sitting next to her leaned to the edge of his chair and stared at my hand. His eyes bulged like a cartoon character’s, and not in the same way he looked at the woman in the Tory Burch sandals.

For the birders. Lastly, the birds on the logos are herons. Two Great White Herons.