peaking of which, there is no shortage of sport on offer for Miami residents – there’s the Dolphins in the NFL, the Heat in the NBA, the Marlins in the MLB and the Panthers in the NHL plus, of course, Lionel Messi and David Beckham’s Inter Miami football team.

Florida was used for the 1994 World Cup in the USA – but it was the Citrus Bowl in Orlando that got the nod over Miami.

But there was never any doubt the Hard Rock Stadium would get the nod this time around.

THE STADIUM

The Hard Rock Stadium opened in 1987, costing $115m at the time – $344m (£255m) in today’s money.

It was designed by HOK, the architects behind the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and Miami Heat’s American Airlines Arena as well as various airports and business HQs around the world.

And the Hard Rock is a real heartbeat of world sport – just looking at the aerial view of the stadium tells you that.

As well as the main Dolphins arena which has hosted six Super Bowls, the World Series baseball, WrestleMania, boxing fights and the 2024 Copa America final, the site also boasts tennis courts for the Miami Open Masters tournament and a racing track for F1’s Miami Grand Prix.

For the tennis, a temporary main showcourt is built within the actual stadium, which has also been used for concerts headlined by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Coldplay, Taylor Swift as well as a Super Bowl half-time show starring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.

The naming rights were sold to Hard Rock Cafe Inc in 2016 on an 18-year, $250m contract.

Various modifications in 2015 – including adding video boards and extra suites – saw the stadium’s seating capacity reduced from 75,000 to 65,000, but it will be 64,478 for the World Cup once a Fifa-approved grass pitch is installed.

Funnily enough, the changes to the roof design mean in the intense Florida sunshine, the Dolphins’ bench is in the shade while the away team, who are often in darker jerseys so as not to clash with the hosts’ white, must sit in direct sunlight.

Incredibly, there are 140 ACRES of parking around the Hard Rock – including spaces for 24,137 cars, 171 buses, 90 RVs, 85 limousines and one helicopter thanks to a helipad.

Plenty of space for Clarke to park the bus against Brazil…!

SCOTLAND (& ENGLAND) GAMES

Scotland vs Brazil is the third of four 2026 World Cup group games being held in Miami.

It is not exactly clear where in the stadium the Tartan Army will be seated just yet.

Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay kick things off and Uruguay return for the fixture with debutants Haiti and it is Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal rounding things off against Colombia.

It will also play host to a game in the round of 32, likely featuring Argentina, plus a quarter-final.

That last-eight tie could well be England if they win Group L and come through two knockout matches to reach the quarters – and it may be against Brazil or even Scotland if they win Group C and progress.

Then the Hard Rock’s last game is the one match nobody wants to play in: the dreaded and doomed third-place play-off for the losing semi-finalists.

WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT

Dreaded and doomed does not just refer to the third-place play-off – but also the Hard Rock Stadium itself.

Yep, that’s right – there is a belief that it is actually spooky and maybe even haunted.

Conspiracy theorists insist home teams have suffered from bad luck when playing there – so maybe best to look away now, Uruguay fans.

The Hard Rock Stadium has earned its dubious reputation because it is built on top of an ancient cemetery.

There was a burial ground for the Tequestas on the site until around 800 AD and then the Seminoles occupied the land until the mid-19th century.

Native American remains and artefacts were discovered in the earth underneath while excavating the ground to lay the stadium’s foundations in 1985.

Archaeologists were drafted in to oversee the digging and sift through the findings – with various bits taken off for study and museums.

The burial ground was disturbed in May 1985, just four months after they lost Super Bowl XVIII.

And they have not made an appearance or won the AFC Championship since.

So while some reckon they are ‘cursed’ by the burial ground, that theory may just be Miami Dolphins fans’ way of coping with not winning anything for nearly 40 years.

Still, if supporters are too nervous watching their team in action at the Hard Rock, there is the option for a cable car instead.

The SkyView gondola opened in 2020 and gives riders stunning views of the impressive complex and, more importantly, the Miami skyline.

MATCHDAY EXPERIENCE

As we’ve said, the Hard Rock Stadium is well used to staging big sporting events – and they are well set up for it.

There are no fewer than SIX airports within a little more than half an hour’s drive of the venue.

The main two are Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (33 mins) and Miami International (27 mins) – but there are also various smaller airports for more local, private or even chartered flights, which no doubt the footballers will be on.

Those are North Perry (12 mins), Miami-Opa Locka Executive (16 mins), Fort Lauderdale Executive (29 mins) and Pompano Beach (36 mins).

If heading to the ground from Downtown Miami, driving or taxi is by far the easiest and quickest, albeit not the most eco-friendly – but public transport options can take nearly two hours.

A World Cup shuttle service may well get put on, though, to ferry fans with tickets to and from the stadium on buses or trains.

The Scottish already have it tough enough facing Brazil – and the fans will not find it any easier with the match being in Miami.

The tropical monsoon weather climate in Florida means it is going to be very hot, very sticky and maybe very wet.

Temperatures in June can regularly sit in the low-to-mid 30s but feels like 40C-plus with the humidity.

It’s not much better at night, either, as it rarely drops below 25C.

But June also marks the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season and brief, albeit torrential, downpours can be expected with afternoon thunderstorms.

And with a 6pm kick-off local time against Brazil, there is a strong potential of a famous Miami washout – and maybe even getting soaked as the Hard Rock roof does not close.

However, with the mornings usually sunny and the rain clearing up by the warm evenings, football fans may well head for the beach beforehand and then back into the city to make the most of Miami’s superb nightlife afterwards – either to toast a famous win or drown their sorrows.