Major League Soccer has selected Los Angeles FC co-owner Larry Berg as its next commissioner, following a vote by league owners at MLS headquarters in midtown Manhattan on Monday. Berg secured the necessary two-thirds supermajority to lead the league into its next phase. He is slated to succeed current commissioner Don Garber, who will remain in his role until the end of the year before transitioning to chairman in 2027.
Berg, who was one of two reported finalists for the position, will be tasked with several significant initiatives upon taking over. He will need to divest his stake in LAFC. The league is also preparing to move to a summer-to-spring calendar in 2027 to align with the European soccer season and is beginning to negotiate a new media rights deal.
“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, who has served as commissioner since 1999, has presided over the league's expansion from 12 to 30 clubs and a significant increase in club valuations. He expressed confidence in Berg's leadership.
“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.”
New York City FC CEO Brad Sims identified broadcast revenue as a key challenge for the incoming commissioner. "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 commented prior to the announcement. “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.”
David Nathanson, a longtime media executive, was also a finalist for the commissioner position. The league's succession committee, formed last year, was headed by Columbus Crew owner Jimmy Haslam and LAFC co-owner Bennett Rosenthal.