David Beckham Buys $9 Million in Land for Miami Soccer Stadium

David Beckham is inching closer toward securing a stadium for his Miami-based Major League Soccer expansion franchise.

Miami-Dade county commissioners approved a $9 million sale of three acres of land to the soccer legend, according to the Miami Herald's Douglas Hanks. Hanks noted Beckham still needs to receive approval from the city of Miami before he can move forward on a venue.

"Although entering into an agreement with the county today is a major step, the Beckham group will need to take further action before the contract is binding and construction on the land can begin, including working with the city of Miami," Miami Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez said in a statement.

Still, the land acquisition clears a major hurdle for Beckham and his ownership group. The Overtown location in Miami is the fourth plan the group proposed, with the previous three failing for various reasons.

Tim Leiweke, whom The Guardian's Chris Smith described as "Beckham's top negotiator," told Overtown residents in May the most recent stadium proposal was "the last chance to get a stadium or soccer team" in the city.

The Miami Herald shared a rendering of the venue:

In order to secure the land deal with the county, Beckham and his group agreed to invest at least $175 million in the stadium, according to Hanks. Unlike Marlins Park and AmericanAirlines Arena, the stadium would be privately owned and receive no public subsidies.