Soccerex Selects Miami’s Nu Stadium for Landmark Global Gathering in 2026

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Image Credit: Soccerex

Soccerex will bring the global football industry to Miami in September 2026, with the organisation announcing Nu Stadium as the host venue for its flagship international gathering.

The leading global football business platform will stage Soccerex Miami from September 23–25, 2026, bringing together senior executives, investors, clubs, leagues, federations, brands, media organisations, technology companies and other commercial stakeholders from across the international game.

The event will take place at Nu Stadium within the Miami Freedom Park site, positioning Soccerex at the centre of one of football’s fastest-growing markets as the sport continues to expand its influence across North America.

For nearly three decades, Soccerex has served as a meeting point for the global football industry. The 2026 event represents a further step in the organisation’s evolution towards a year-round platform focused on creating strategic connections, commercial opportunities and long-term value across the game.

Soccerex Miami 2026 will feature conferences, curated networking opportunities, strategic business meetings and industry programming designed to connect decision-makers and facilitate new partnerships.

A key component of the event will be Soccerex’s expanding Deal Network platform, which is designed to create more targeted connections between investors, rights holders, decision-makers and strategic partners throughout the year.

The gathering will also continue the expansion of HerSoccerex, Soccerex’s dedicated initiative focused on increasing investment, visibility, leadership opportunities and commercial growth across women’s football.

Soccerex CEO Garrett Navia said Miami represented an increasingly important location for the global football industry.

“Miami has become one of the most important crossroads in global football,” Navia said.

“The city sits at the intersection of the Americas, international business, culture, investment and the future growth of the sport itself.

“Bringing Soccerex to Nu Stadium is not just about hosting another event, it is about establishing a long-term home for the global football industry in one of the most dynamic football markets anywhere in the world.”

Navia said Soccerex was focused on expanding its role beyond traditional events and developing a platform capable of creating measurable outcomes across the football ecosystem.

“For nearly 30 years, Soccerex has connected the global game,” he said.

“What we are building now is much bigger, a year-round platform designed to create business opportunities, strategic relationships and measurable outcomes across football while also using the reach and influence of the sport to create meaningful impact and lasting legacy within the communities it touches.”

Soccerex Miami 2026 will also place an emphasis on community engagement and impact initiatives, with the organisation aiming to use football as a vehicle to create opportunities and leave a positive legacy in the communities connected to the event.

Nu Stadium, which opened in April 2026 as the home of Inter Miami CF, will provide the backdrop for discussions around some of the most significant issues shaping football’s future.

Investment, infrastructure, sponsorship, media, technology, innovation, fan engagement, women’s football and the continued globalisation of the game are all expected to feature prominently across the three-day gathering.

Located within the wider Miami Freedom Park development, the 26,700-seat venue represents one of South Florida’s newest major football and entertainment destinations.

Additional announcements regarding speakers, strategic partners, community initiatives and industry activations are expected in the lead-up to the event.

Soccerex was founded in 1996 and has since developed into one of football’s leading business platforms, connecting clubs, leagues, federations, brands, investors, media companies, technology providers and rights holders from across the global game.

Through its international events, executive experiences, Deal Network and HerSoccerex initiatives, the organisation is seeking to expand its role as a year-round platform connecting capital, commerce, innovation and leadership across the football industry.

Soccerex Miami 2026 will take place from September 23–25, 2026, at Nu Stadium in Miami, Florida.

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Melbourne Victory and BYD drive innovation through new major partnership

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Melbourne Victory has officially welcomed BYD as a Major Partner and the Club’s exclusive Motor Vehicle Supplier for the next 12 months. At a partner launch bringing together the two organisations, the focus is on building around innovation, growth and a drive for success. The partnership will place BYD at the centre of Melbourne Victory’s fan experience. The brand will feature on the front of both the A-League men’s and women’s home and away jerseys. This gives BYD a strong presence across matchdays, broadcasts and digital content throughout the season.

The partnership extends well beyond the playing kit. BYD will be integrated across Melbourne Victory’s media, Academy and community assets. The two organisations will also collaborate through Member and pathways programs. This creates opportunities for BYD to connect with Victory supporters across multiple touchpoints.

For BYD, the partnership provides a direct connection with Melbourne Victory’s growing supporter and member base. The automotive brand has built a rapidly expanding presence in Australia and New Zealand. Its partnership with Victory provides another platform to build awareness and engage with Australian consumers. BYD Australia Chief Operating Officer Stephen Collins said the alignment between the two organisations was a key factor behind the deal.

“At BYD we’re enormously excited to welcome the Melbourne Victory into the BYD family as an exclusive automotive partner,” Collins said.

“What really appeals to us was the culture of innovation and the hunger for success.”

That alignment is reflected in the way the partnership will operate. BYD will not simply appear on Melbourne Victory assets. The brand will be connected to the Club’s members, fans, business network, pathways and community programs. Melbourne Victory Managing Director Caroline Carnegie said the partnership reflects a shared ambition for continued growth. She also highlighted the organisations’ common focus on leading, connecting and inspiring their communities. Together, Melbourne Victory and BYD will bring the partnership to life across matchdays, media, community initiatives and supporter experiences throughout the 2026-27 season.

The ball is no longer just being improved it is being connected

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The humble football is becoming one of the more technologically advanced objects on a football pitch.

Across the A-Leagues, Mitre’s new Ultimax Pro is focused on improving what happens when the ball is kicked, while LaLiga has taken the next step by turning the ball into a source of live match data.

The contrast shows how football technology is moving in two directions at once, improving the physical performance of equipment while increasingly connecting it to the digital systems surrounding the game.

Refining the Physical Object: Mitre’s Ultimax Pro

The Ultimax Pro, which will be used across the 2026/27 A-League Men and Ninja A-League Women seasons, incorporates Mitre’s HyperFlow, HyperFoam, HyperSeal and Delta Skin technologies.

Its debossed grooves are designed to reduce drag and improve stability in flight, while the cushioning, bonding and surface technologies are aimed at producing consistent rebound, durability and control. The ball carries FIFA Quality Pro certification, reflecting the testing standards required for professional match balls.

The technology is largely invisible to supporters. Its purpose is to make the ball behave more predictably for players, rather than fundamentally changing the football itself.

Connecting the Ball to the Digital Ecosystem: LaLiga’s Sensor-Driven Approach

LaLiga’s approach is different.

The Spanish competition has introduced a radio-frequency sensor developed by KINEXON into its PUMA match ball, with the technology being used across every LaLiga EA Sports fixture this season.

The sensor continuously transmits information about the ball’s position and the precise moment of contact. Around 12 antennas installed in each stadium capture the data and feed it into LaLiga’s wider technology infrastructure.

That gives the ball a role beyond simply being the object of play.

Knowing exactly when the ball is touched can help officials in a variety of situations. Offside, handballs, deflections and other decisions where a difference of milliseconds can affect the outcome could all benefit.

But the more interesting development may sit outside officiating.

LaLiga is using the connected ball to create xBALL, an official data layer that can feed broadcasts, digital products and future second-screen experiences. Data such as shot speed, ball spin and trajectory could all be incorporated into its media and digital products.

The ball is no longer just something that manufacturers compete to make faster, more durable or more responsive. It can also become a source of proprietary data that leagues can use to improve broadcasts, develop digital products and create new ways for supporters to understand the game.

The Ball as Part of Football’s Intelligence Layer

Mitre is refining the physical object. LaLiga is connecting that object to the digital ecosystem of the match.

Together, however, they point to the same direction of travel.

Football equipment is becoming increasingly intelligent.

The evolution is not necessarily about adding technology for its own sake. In the A-Leagues, the objective is consistency: predictable flight, touch and rebound. In LaLiga, the objective is precision and information: knowing exactly where the ball is and when it was touched.

The commercial opportunity comes from what can be built around those capabilities.

As stadiums become more connected, broadcasts become more data-rich and clubs and leagues collect increasingly detailed information about matches, the football itself can become another input into that infrastructure.

It also changes the relationship between equipment manufacturers and competitions.

A match ball used to be primarily a physical product supplied to a league. Connected technology creates the possibility of the ball becoming part of a broader technology stack involving officiating systems, broadcast platforms, analytics and fan-facing digital products.

The A-Leagues are starting with the physical performance of the ball. LaLiga is showing what can happen when that physical object becomes connected.

The next generation of football technology may not be something players wear or referees use.

It may be the ball itself.

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