Beckham is president of Inter Miami, a fresh-faced Major League Soccer (MLS) club locked in a trademark dispute with 111-year-old Italian club Inter Milan.

The US club is challenging a trademark application filed by the Italian club in 2014 for the use of “Inter” as its exclusive brand.

However, in the first round of proceedings, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) dismissed one of the US club’s two arguments, Law.com reports.

The USPTO rejected the argument that the trademark would cause a “likelihood of confusion” with other clubs with “Inter” in their names.

Miami attorney David Winkler said the club had overcome a significant legal hurdle and the final ruling could “result in Miami having to change its name”.