Add The New York Post on Google MLS now knows its next commissioner.
Los Angeles FC co-owner Larry Berg was voted to succeed current commissioner Don Garber following a vote by league owners at MLS headquarters in midtown Manhattan.
Berg received the two-thirds supermajority to be named the next league head on Monday.
Garber will remain in the role through the end of the year before transitioning to chairman in 2027.
LAFC Co-Managing Owner Larry Berg celebrates win over Sporting Kansas City in the finals of the 2024 Lamar Hunt U. S. Open Cup at BMO Stadium on September 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images for USSF “I’m honored to lead Major League Soccer into its next era,” Berg said in a statement. “Thanks to the vision and commitment of so many people, Major League Soccer has achieved tremendous success, but I believe our greatest opportunities are still ahead. 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. Together with our owners, clubs, players, partners, supporters, and league staff, I could not be more excited for what comes next.”
Garber has been MLS commissioner since 1999 and has overseen extensive growth for the league, with MLS jumping from 12 to 30 clubs and seeing an increase in club values.
“Having worked closely with Larry over the past decade, I’ve seen firsthand the qualities that make him an exceptional leader, and I have complete confidence he is the right person to serve as Major League Soccer’s next Commissioner,” Garber said in a statement. “His integrity, judgment, collaborative leadership, and unwavering commitment to building LAFC and the league have made him an invaluable partner. I look forward to working alongside Larry during this transition and supporting him as he leads MLS into its next chapter.”
Berg was widely reported as one of two finalists for the position and made a presentation to league owners earlier on Monday before a vote was taken. Now that he’s been picked as the next commissioner, he will have to divest from his stake in LAFC.
When Berg takes over the role, he will be joining a league going through significant change, with MLS moving to a summer-to-spring calendar in 2027 to match the European soccer calendar and the league beginning to look for a new media rights deal in the near future.
LAFC Owner Larry Berg celebrates winning the Western Conference Final following the MLS Cup Western Conference Final match against Austin FC at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 30, 2022. Los Angeles FC won the match 3-0. Getty Images New York City FC CEO Brad Sims agreed that the one big thing that will be on the next commissioner’s plate will be broadcast revenue.
Sims spoke with The Post and amNewYork during a media day event at the club’s offices in New York on Monday when he was asked about the challenges the next commissioner would face.
“This league is competitively way better than it was five years ago, and five years ago is way better than was five years before that, and so on and so forth. I think at a minimum we’re going to continue to grow the caliber of play in this league,” Sims said before the news broke about Berg’s selection. “But the question I think for our commissioner and the league is, if you want to address one kind of gaping hole…it’s broadcast revenue and do we really want to take that on head on as league? That’s not going to be solely up to the commissioner. It’s really going to be up to the owners and where they want to take it.”
Longtime media executive David Nathanson was a finalist for the commish job.
MLS formed a succession committee last year headed by Columbus Crew owner Jimmy Haslam and LAFC co-owner Bennett Rosenthal.
