Scotland v Belarus 2026 FIFA World Cup, WM, Weltmeisterschaft, Fussball Qualifiers Andy Robertson of Scotland during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Group C match at Hampden Park, Glasgow UK Newspapers OUT Copyright: xFredxPalmerx FIL-22351-0159
David Beckham’s plan for luring the greatest player of all time to the MLS was straightforward from the beginning.
The co-owner of Inter Miami made sure that Lionel Messi would have everything he needed to remain at the top of the game long enough to reach one final World Cup.
As a direct consequence of that arrangement, Steve Clarke and his Scotland squad found themselves training at the Florida Blue Training Centre on the outskirts of Fort Lauderdale.
The 50,000 square foot complex is a state of the art facility that Messi has been given near complete freedom to shape and improve over the past three years.
Seven immaculate pitches, seven ice baths along the sidelines, and a purpose-built shaded rest area equipped with industrial strength fans greet players on arrival each day.
The rest area creates an air conditioned outdoor sanctuary, which proved essential as temperatures reached 95 degrees during Scotland’s first Stateside training session.
The complex also includes a full kitchen, cafeteria, lounge, weights room, medical department, hydrotherapy rooms, a performance lab, and even Messi’s own personal locker.
A secure airstrip sits just a few hundred yards away, and the entire site is ringed with private security at every access point regardless of whether VIPs are present.
Clarke was quick to contrast this environment with the public pitch at the foot of the Alps in Garmisch-Partenkirchen where Scotland trained during the last European Championship, a camp that suffered unseasonal flooding throughout their short stay in Bavaria.
Clarke addressed the circumstances that led Scotland to the Inter Miami facility, saying: “The circumstances about how we got the training facility here are a little strange because we came out to look at one at Palm Beach which we liked.”
He explained that Scotland were initially gazumped by two pot one teams for those facilities before Argentina’s decision to relocate their pre-camp to Kansas freed up the Inter Miami base at short notice.
“Then we found out Argentina, who were going to use Inter Miami as a pre-camp or main camp had decided to go to Kansas,” Clarke said, adding that Scotland managed to secure it at relatively late notice.
Clarke described the qualities that made the venue the right choice, saying: “The pitches are top class and that’s always the first criteria. We’ve got everything we need there. A nice gym, nice facilities inside and top pitches. That’s what the players want – the best.”
The two teams that originally took the Palm Beach facilities from Scotland, for clarity, were England and Portugal.
Clarke acknowledged the financial commitment required, crediting the SFA directly: “The SFA have given us everything we’ve asked for. But one of the conditions to use Inter Miami’s training base was also to use this hotel.”
He added that the hotel arrangement came at a greater cost than originally anticipated but that the governing body made the right call in approving the expenditure.
Scotland’s operation in Fort Lauderdale involves 45 non-playing staff, with players provided fresh kit three times daily and instructed not to be seen in sweat-stained clothing at any point.
A lorry carrying equipment had been dispatched to Florida a week ahead of the squad’s arrival, while a second truck departed for Scotland’s next stop in New Jersey on the same day training began.
Clarke himself cut a contented figure as he observed the opening passing drills just after 10am, dressed head to toe in World Cup training kit and wearing a dark blue baseball cap to shield himself from the sun.
Scotland open their Group C campaign against Haiti on June 14, with Clarke’s squad now preparing in surroundings that, until recently, were reserved for the world’s most celebrated footballer.
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