Larry Berg was officially approved to succeed Don Garber as MLS commissioner, with the transition occurring on New Year’s Day. Berg, a co-owner of LAFC since the team’s founding, will divest from the team before assuming his new role. Garber, who led the league for 28 to 31 years, emphasized the importance of looking forward rather than dwelling on past accomplishments.
Berg outlined his vision for the league’s future, centering on improving quality of play as the foundation for addressing MLS’ ongoing relevance issues both domestically and globally. He identified roster investment models as a critical component of this strategy, noting that decisions about designated players, roster investment levels, and U-22 initiative players would need to be made collectively by ownership groups. Berg emphasized the interconnected nature of these improvements, suggesting that better on-field product would generate increased transfer revenue and media interest, creating a positive cycle of growth.
The incoming commissioner highlighted youth development as another priority, citing MLS’ successful academy system that has consistently produced talent for the U.S. and Canadian national teams. He expressed confidence in the existing foundation while advocating for expanded opportunities for younger players to gain professional minutes. Berg also signaled potential changes to the league’s competition format, including revisions to regular season structure, divisional alignment, and playoff systems. While specific details remain under development, he indicated that new formats could potentially be implemented by the start of the league’s upcoming calendar transition next summer.
Berg addressed the league’s media landscape, noting that the current Apple TV agreement concludes in 2029. He discussed the importance of finding media partners interested in collaborating on the league’s future direction and cited MLS’ Leagues Cup tournament as an example of innovative content worthy of promotion. His background in private equity was acknowledged as providing relevant skills for consensus-building among the league’s 30 ownership groups, though Garber and other league figures clarified that private equity involvement in sports differs significantly from traditional corporate applications of the business model.
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