AFA launches padel tournament at North Bay Village with ex-football stars

AFA turned its North Bay Village padel push into a football crossover showcase, bringing Javier Saviola, Javier Pastore and Diego Perotti to the official launch of an upcoming tournament at its Miami facility. The move put three former Argentina internationals in front of the project as AFA tries to turn name recognition into court traffic, competitive play and a longer commercial life for the site.

The tournament sits inside a much larger buildout. AFA says the North Bay Village sports center is under construction and will serve as the headquarters for AFA Internacional as well as a new AFA Academy location in the region. The association first officially presented the AFA International Center of Miami in North Bay Village on June 14, 2025, when Claudio Tapia appeared alongside CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez and Boca Juniors president Juan Román Riquelme.

North Bay Village project documents show AFA won an open bidding process for redevelopment of the Public Works lot on Galleon Street. The plans call for a community center, padel and pickleball courts, green space, an exercise trail and other recreational amenities at the Treasure Island Elementary School area, part of a public-private partnership that local officials have linked to Miami-Dade County’s buildup for the 2026 World Cup.

That mix explains the casting at the launch. Saviola, Pastore and Perotti give the tournament an unmistakable Argentine football identity, but the real target is broader: padel players, families using the public amenities, and a local market that can be drawn back to the complex after the novelty of a celebrity-backed opening fades. AFA’s strategy is to let football credibility do the first lift, then rely on the courts, academy programming and neighborhood access to keep the venue active.

For padel, the significance is clear. AFA is not treating the sport as a side attraction, but as part of a branded sports campus with a public-facing future. If the courts in North Bay Village stay busy beyond the launch moment, the project could become one of the sharper examples of football institutions using padel to expand reach, strengthen commercial appeal and build a lasting playing base in South Florida.