Ffrom an abandoned symbol of failed attempts to bring professional football to south Florida to the arena where Lionel Messi hit the MLS, attracting visitors from all over the world. It was a unique journey for the site where Lockhart Stadium once stood in Fort Lauderdale.
“Even after all these years, it’s so funny to me that Lionel Messi, one of the most famous faces in human history, not only plays for our club, but plays in this abandoned stadium,” said Nico Abad, a member of The Siege supporters group and a native of Broward County, where Chase Stadium stands on the site of the former Lockhart Stadium. “This is where kids went to make donuts, smoke and drink.”
The former home of the defunct Fort Lauderdale Strikers and former MLS club Miami Fusion was demolished by the newly formed Inter Miami in 2019 and rebuilt almost as a last resort after many years failed stadium projects in Miami itself jeopardized the possibility of the club's existence. Founder owner David Beckham's consolation prize north of Vice City ended up becoming a unique event for local football fans, attracting worldwide attention.
This era is almost over. The final game of the MLS regular season will take place at Chase Stadium on Saturday, when Inter Miami play Atlanta. After the playoffs this will play a role. It's time for Inter Miami to play in Miami.
Next season the club will move to a purpose-built house in Miami Liberty Park, a 25,000-capacity arena that forms the centerpiece of a “soccer village” with shops, restaurants, office space and a lush park next to the city's international airport. That would be in stark contrast to the temporary solution in Broward County, amid a cluster of auto repair shops near the airfield.
While this is in some ways a reward for Miami fans who may have spent far more time in traffic getting to Chase Stadium than watching football there, fans feel a genuine affection for their cozy temporary home.
There are legitimate reasons why Chase Stadium works. Fans stand close to the field. Behind the goal are open-air, high school-style bleachers where the loudest and most ardent fans gather, where they are fully exposed to the unpredictable South Florida summer weather. It's like going to watch a lower division club until you turn around on the pitch and see Messi, Sergio Busquets, Rodrigo De Paul, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez. Beckham too.
“[It] I liked him for his mediocrity,” Abad said. – After 150 games you fall in love there. I won't miss the sauna potties. I'm looking forward to air-conditioned bathrooms.”
Many fans recalled those mesmerizing first games of Messi as their best football memories. It was almost incredible the Argentine's discovery in July 2023 under tropical rains, dubbed “Hurricane Messi”, and then free kick in stoppage time to win the game about his debut in the League Cup against Cruz Azul, a tournament in which he would lead their team to victory.
The stadium also ended legendary careers. Gonzalo Higuain sent off Heron. Busquets and Jordi Alba will retire at the end of this campaign. Suarez is 38 years old and his contract expires this season.
“This experience is special because it feels like a small club now,” Miami season ticket holder Paul Zamek said. “When Suarez or Busquets score, they run to their families. We are so close that you can see the emotions. I will miss this closeness.”
Zamek season ticket holder Mason Harris added: “I can bond with my kids here and watch them take an interest in sports. They haven't done that before, so this stadium will always have that for me.”
Lockhart Stadium was originally built in 1959 for high school track and field competitions, but has also been graced by professional greats. Gerd Muller, George Best and Gordon Banks played for the Strikers in the late 1970s. Pele scored there for the New York Cosmos in 1977 and reconnected with Banks after that famous save at the 1970 World Championships.
Now, after an up-and-down season under Javier Mascherano, today's great hero Messi has the chance to give the Chase Stadium era the perfect send-off. If Inter Miami reaches MLS Cup and a meeting with a team with a lower ranking, the game will be played in Fort Lauderdale.
That's why the team isn't counting too much on Saturday. They host their annual fan appreciation night and say, “See you in the playoffs.” A win over Atlanta could solidify home-field advantage in the final race in Broward County.
Fort Lauderdale may not be as bustling a hub as Miami itself, but it is accessible to all three southern Florida counties—Broward, Palm Beach to the north, and Miami-Dade to the south.
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Inter Miami says fans mostly live in Miami-Dade, but it will make it harder for others to follow the team. Broward and Palm Beach fans formed a core during the leaner years before Messi. Naturally, Inter Miami wants to keep them.
Traffic is traffic, but the club says the 2.5 miles of new roads servicing Miami Liberty Park will be among the most extensive for a new stadium in the United States in decades. The club says the 5,000 new parking spaces will be the maximum at an MLS stadium.
Public transport may be a little simpler than it is now. Across the street at the airport is a Tri-Rail station serving all of south Florida, as well as localized Metro-Rail and Miami Mover options.
Tri-Rail offers accessible train service through Broward and into Palm Beach with 17 stops, but schedule adjustments will be required to fully support the games. The club may yet renew its agreement with high-speed train company Brightline to bus fans from downtown Miami. However, the current lack of clarity is leaving some fans feeling left out of the conversation.
“The club has been cold-shouldered about anything that has to do with Miami Freedom Park,” says Abad, who lives between Chase Stadium and Miami Freedom Park. “They asked for zero involvement. The liaisons between the club and supporter groups did not engage with us at all in that capacity.”
“My friends who support New York City FC have been involved in every aspect of the new stadium, including where the supporters' groups will be located. Their club is looking for input and advice. Meanwhile, these guys can't even tell us whether they are going to enter into a transportation agreement with Brightline or Tri-Rail.”
Inter Miami isn't saying goodbye to Broward County completely. The stadium will continue to host major events. The training ground, club headquarters and youth academy will remain on site. Beckham promised to create a women's team under the club's banner that could bring a new and lasting footballing legacy to the stadium.
And while memories of that era remain fond, most fans we spoke to are thrilled with the move. “Pour me into a suitable bowl already. I think everyone will like it,” Abad said.
Attendances dropped slightly, now everyone who wanted to see Messi did so. The reported numbers remain high, but the naked eye tells a different story. There are many free places. Primary market tickets are still available for almost all sections of Saturday's game.
“Fort Lauderdale is a great city, but Miami has a different energy,” Zamek adds. “This is Team Miami, it belongs to Miami.”
