They debuted in 2002 at £35m. Now Brand Beckham is worth £500m
They do football differently in America and not just because they call it soccer. Take Inter Miami, the country's best known new club, thanks to its co-owner and founder David Beckham. The team's strip is acid pink and its new 25,000-seat stadium is rising not in the heart of Miami but at one end of the runway at the international airport. It is the centrepiece of the $1 billion Miami Freedom Park development, which is due to open next year and will include a 750-room hotel, shops and flats.
Beckham says the stadium deal, which has taken six years of wrangling, has been 'the hardest challenge in my career. But it is also the most rewarding.' That's because for the former England captain it
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Reuters
20 minutes ago
- Reuters
Walter's deep pockets could fuel Lakers return to glory
LOS ANGELES, June 19 (Reuters) - Billionaire Mark Walter's purchase of a majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers, in a deal that values the team at $10 billion, adds another glittering asset to his sports portfolio and could usher in another championship era for the National Basketball League franchise. The Buss family, the longest-tenured owners in the NBA, is entering into an agreement to make the sale to Walter, ESPN reported on Wednesday, in what would be the largest-ever sale of a professional sports team. The Lakers have yet to confirm the deal. Walter, 65, is the CEO of holding company TWG Global and financial services firm Guggenheim Partners, and LA sports fans do not need to look far to see the impact his mighty checkbook can have on a franchise. Walter, along with a group that included Lakers legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson, purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012 for $2.15 billion in what at the time was an MLB record. Under his ownership, the Dodgers have made 12 straight playoff appearances, won two championships, including last season's World Series and added generational talents Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani. Johnson, a Hall of Famer who won five NBA titles with the Lakers, said fans should be "ecstatic" about Iowa native Walter becoming the team's next owner. "A few things I can tell you about Mark - he is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way," Johnson said in a post on X on Wednesday. The reported $10 billion valuation of the Lakers was eyebrow-raising, especially after their historic rivals the Boston Celtics sold for $6.1 billion in April. But it was not a surprise that Walter would be on the other side of the deal. He has been a stakeholder in the team since 2021. Walter's net worth is estimated at $12.5 billion by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Unlike Major League Baseball, the NBA has a salary cap. Still, there are plenty of ways for a deep-pocketed owner to use his money to the team's advantage, from developing players to hiring the best staff. The Lakers have 17 NBA titles, with the latest one coming in 2020. That is second only to the Celtics who have 18, including in 2024. In addition to his ownership of the Dodgers, Walter is also co-owner of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, Premier League side Chelsea FC and, through TWG Motorsports, owns Cadillac Formula One team, which will debut next year. His other financial interests include international women's tennis competition the Billie Jean Cup and the Professional Women's Hockey League, which named its championship trophy the "Walter Cup" after him and his wife Kimbra. Walter's growing footprint in the Los Angeles sports scene comes at a time when the Southern California city is preparing to play a key role in hosting FIFA World Cup matches next summer. Dodger Stadium will host baseball and softball competitions during the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, while the Lakers' home of Arena in downtown LA will serve as the venue for gymnastics and boxing.
Daily Mail
21 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Pickleball star slams his paddle as he descends into shocking meltdown... only to suffer ultimate humiliation
The only thing more humiliating than an on-court meltdown, is failing to execute the crashout - as one pickleball player discovered this week. Zane Ford, a pickleballer on the Carvana PPA Tour, exploded after a brutal blow during the Select Medical Orange County Cup in California on Wednesday. The 20-year-old lost match point on a wayward volley back to opponent James Ignatowich that he fired left of the line. The misfire, which sealed his defeat in the Round of 32, triggered an explosive reaction from the world No 14. Ford, who turned pro in 2023, immediately let out a frustrated cry before repeatedly launching his paddle to the ground. Despite repeatedly slamming the paddle on the Humana Championship Court, humiliatingly it refused to crack, forcing Ford to resort to using his knee. A crash out worthy of Humana Championship Court 😳 @jignatowichpb with a clutch win that had Zane Ford very upset 😬 — Carvana PPA Tour (@PPAtour) June 18, 2025 He tried hitting it on his knee but it still weathered his attacks, merely bending a little bit. Ford, a Pennsylvania native, later took to social media to apologize for his actions before attempting to justify his unsportsmanlike behavior. 'First of all, I'm sorry for damaging such a beautiful paddle,' Ford said in a video shared to Instagram. 'At the end of the day, I'm here to win. I put my whole life into this, and I wanna be the best player in the world, so my emotions got the better of me that day. I'm working on it and trying to get to a better spot with that. 'I'm here to win. This is my life. This is what I do to make a living. This is all I ever really think about. Of course I'm going to get upset when I lose the first game 11-0 and then lose 1 and 4.' In a second video, Ford claimed that his outburst actually helped to grow the sport after a clip of his meltdown went viral.
Reuters
26 minutes ago
- Reuters
Messi guides Inter Miami to historic victory over Porto at Club World Cup
June 19 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi's stunning free kick secured Inter Miami a 2-1 win over Porto in their Club World Cup Group A clash on Thursday, marking the first time a CONCACAF team has defeated a European side in an official FIFA tournament. The Argentine great was pivotal as the Major League Soccer side bounced back from their disappointing goalless draw against Egyptian side Al Ahly in their opening match. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT: Inter Miami's win over Porto boosts their chances of a deep run in a tournament designed to pit champion clubs from across the globe against one another. The competition is taking place in 12 stadiums across the United States. After FIFA controversially granted Javier Mascherano's side a backdoor entry, Messi became front and center in the revamped competition, drawing crowds while continuing to elevate the sport in a country long lukewarm toward the world's game. The result also offers a glimpse at how North and South American sides stack up against traditionally dominant European sides. KEY QUOTES: Inter Miami captain Messi: "It's a great joy. A lot of effort went into it, and we worked very well. I'm very happy. We were left with a bitter taste after the first match. We thought we could have won it. "(In the free kick) I took advantage of the space left by the goalkeeper, who was standing still and not covering his post. I tried to score there. "The other day (there were) nerves from a lot of young guys playing in such a significant competition. We've changed. We're going to compete, try to play our game. Today we were the inferior team, but we have our weapons. Next up is Palmeiras, which is a big club in the world. It's going to be another very difficult game."
