Five reasons why Miami is one of the world's leading destinations for sport

Will Smith essentially wrote a love letter to Miami with his 1997 hit, rapping that it is the “city that keeps the roof blazin”.

And while he was bang on the money about one of the most vibrant places in the world, he failed to mention the Magic City’s incredible sporting status.

In 2026, Miami will welcome fans from all over the world for the next World Cup tournament.

And having been given an exclusive ‘In the Zone’ tour by the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, SPORTbible is here to provide an overview of why Miami is a must-visit destination if you love sport.

Messi-mania in Miami

Miami has been an attractive proposition for many reasons over the years, namely its beaches and well-documented party scene.

But the biggest in a sporting sense at present is the fact that the best footballer to ever play the game is contracted to David Beckham’s Inter Miami franchise, set up in 2020.

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Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has guided the Herons to two trophies and taken them from the bottom of the Eastern Conference to the very top, scoring 30 goals in 34 games.

Seeing Messi strut his stuff at the Chase Stadium alongside his Barcelona buddies Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba is a special treat and in 2026 the team will move to Miami Freedom Park, a 131-acre development which will include a new 25,000 capacity ground, as well as an entertainment district, sports facilities and a hotel.

The club adopts the motto ‘Freedom to Dream’ and you get the sense that finally moving from nearby Fort Lauderdale will be a pivotal move in its ascension.

Swim with the Dolphins

Miami Gardens is home to the oldest professional sports team in Florida, the Miami Dolphins, who were established back in 1965.

While the Dolphins are by no means the most dominant side in the NFL, they do have exciting stars like Odell Beckham Jr and Tyreek Hill in their ranks.

And in addition to having ten Hall of Famers in their ranks, primarily from their perfect 1972 team, Miami holds the record for the most Super Bowls held with eleven.

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Six have been staged at the 65,000 capacity, state-of-the-art Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Dolphins and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team, who are five-time national champions.

If football is not your bag, the Miami Grand Prix and the Miami Open, key dates in the Formula One and tennis calendars respectively, take place at the Hard Rock Stadium each year.

Miami’s first foray into F1 came in 2022 and saw the creation of a 19-turn track with 11 grandstands in the middle of the parking lot and a makeshift marina. A year later and an all-new Paddock Club was built for the event.

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Meanwhile, the Miami Open has thirty courts when it takes place annually in May, with the premier games located on centre court inside the stadium.

With its rain-and-sun shielding roof, the Hard Rock Stadium is one of the leading arenas for the 2026 World Cup, when it will host no less than seven matches – including a quarter-final and bronze medal game.

Feel the heat

It’s off season at the moment but soon the Miami Heat will be in action and seeing the iconic franchise take to the court at the 20,000 capacity Kaysea Center on the waterfront in Biscayne Bay is a serious spectacle.

The Heat have three NBA championships in their collection after triumphs in 2006, 2012 and 2013, with legends like LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Bosh, Udonis Haslem, Dwayne Wade in their star-studded list of alumni.

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These days Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic and Bam Adebayo are among the talented current stars.

And aside from getting to a game, taking a Kaysea Center tour and learning all about Pat Riley’s ‘One suit, one shirt and one’ tie speech to his players in 2006 and much more is well worth a go.

Fun with a home run

Another necessary sporting stop in the 305 is over in the predominantly Cuban ‘Little Havana’ neigbourhood, LoanDepot Park – home of Miami Marlins - the city’s Major League Baseball team since 1993.

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Previously the Florida Marlins, the two-time World Series champions’ ballpark is on the site of the former Miami Orange Bowl and was built 12 years ago.

Their 37,500 stadium has a state-of-the-art retractable roof which takes thirteen and a half minutes to open to allow the ball to really fly.

The average ticket price for a recent upset win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the 76th home game out of 81, was $45 and worth every penny to see stunning home runs, insane catches, ridiculous player walkouts and feel the unrivalled energy in the flesh.

Ice City

Miami is said to be the warmest city in the United States and though the air conditioning is off the charts, you need a bit more to cool down from the sweltering temperatures.

Enter the Florida Panthers, the Ice Hockey team who have just claimed their first ever Stanley Cup in their 30-year history after a play-off final victory over Western Conference winners Edmonton Oilers.

The Eastern Conference Atlanta Division members have become one of the top dogs in ice hockey and are currently preparing for the upcoming 2024/25 campaign.

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The Panthers used to play at the now defunct Miami Arena but these days their home games are at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area.

While it’s about an hour away from Miami Beach, again it’s well worth the trip for a staple of American sports culture.