NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 04: Larry Berg, the next Commissioner of Major League Soccer, (R) and MLS Commissioner Don Garber laugh during an introductory press conference for Berg at MLS Offices on August 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/MLS via Getty Images)
MLS via Getty Images
When Don Garber became Major League Soccer commissioner in 1999, the league was fighting for survival. Teams played in cavernous NFL stadiums, TV exposure was limited and the idea that MLS could one day rival the world’s top soccer leagues seemed more fantasy than reality.
Decades later, Garber hands over a league that is financially stable, internationally relevant and riding unprecedented momentum. Larry Berg will officially become just the third commissioner in MLS history next year, but unlike his predecessors, he will not be tasked with saving the league. His challenge is arguably even more difficult: Taking a successful league and making it indispensable in the global soccer landscape.
Building something from almost nothing requires one set of skills. Transforming a prosperous domestic league into an international powerhouse requires another.
Garber’s greatest accomplishment was proving that pro soccer could thrive in North America. Under his leadership, MLS expanded from 12 clubs to 30, built soccer-specific stadiums across the U.S. and Canada, invested heavily in youth academies and created Soccer United Marketing, which gave the league a powerful commercial engine. The arrival of David Beckham in 2007 legitimized MLS internationally and Lionel Messi’s arrival in 2023 elevated it even further, making Inter Miami and the league itself a global attraction.
Now Berg must determine what comes next. His comments during his introductory news conference on Tuesday suggests that he understands MLS cannot simply continue doing what has worked in the past.
“We have an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen the quality of our competition, develop more world-class players, deepen our connection with supporters, and continue elevating Major League Soccer’s place in the global game,” Berg said. “Together with our owners, clubs, players, partners, supporters, and league staff, I could not be more excited for what comes next.”
Fortunately for Berg, he assumes control at perhaps the most advantageous moment in league history.
This summer’s FIFA World Cup dramatically expanded the sport’s profile across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Packed stadiums, massive television audiences and widespread public enthusiasm demonstrated once again that soccer is no longer a niche sport in North America. MLS now has an opportunity that previous commissioners never enjoyed: Converting millions of casual World Cup fans into lifelong supporters.
That opportunity, however, comes with urgency. History shows that World Cup enthusiasm fades quickly if domestic leagues fail to capture the attention of new fans. The United States experienced a surge following the 1994 World Cup that helped launch MLS, but maintaining that momentum required decades of patient investment.
Berg has far less time. The current sports marketplace is crowded with streaming services, international competitions and endless entertainment options competing for attention.
Starting next year, MLS will abandon its traditional February-to-November calendar in favor of a schedule that more closely aligns with Europe’s big leagues. The transition will not be seamless. Harsh winters in northern markets, fixture congestion and scheduling conflicts could present some challenges. However, the benefits could be significant. Synchronizing transfer windows with European leagues should make player movement easier, improve scouting and potentially increase MLS’s credibility among international clubs.
It also sends a symbolic message. For years, MLS was viewed as operating outside the game’s global ecosystem. Aligning the calendar represents another step toward integrating with the broader soccer world rather than existing alongside it.
Berg also inherits another crucial responsibility: Negotiating the league’s next media rights agreement. The Apple TV partnership has been innovative, providing every MLS match on one global streaming platform. But it has also generated debate. While supporters appreciate comprehensive access, some critics argue that placing nearly every match behind a subscription has limited the league’s visibility for casual fans.
By the time the Apple agreement expires in 2029, the media landscape may look dramatically different. Berg will need to balance guaranteed revenue with broader exposure. More money alone will not necessarily grow the sport if fewer people discover it.
What makes Berg particularly intriguing is that he arrives not as an outsider, but as one of the league’s most engaged owners. His success with LAFC provides credibility. Since joining MLS in 2018, LAFC has become one of the league’s model organizations, combining ambitious ownership, passionate supporters, modern facilities and consistent on-field success. Winning MLS Cup in 2022 and building one of the league’s strongest brands demonstrates an understanding of both sporting and business realities.
That background may prove invaluable. Commissioners often struggle because they must balance competing interests among owners with vastly different priorities. Berg already understands those dynamics from firsthand experience. Still, success is far from guaranteed.
The league no longer measures success simply by expansion fees or attendance figures. It must become a destination where elite young players want to develop, where international fans tune in regardless of whether Messi is on the field and where teams consistently compete with the best teams across the Americas.
Garber spent nearly three decades proving MLS belonged. Berg’s task is proving it matters on a global scale. For the first time in its history, MLS enters a commissioner transition not from a position of uncertainty, but from one of strength.