Opinion
Opinion: Berg's hire as the next MLS Commissioner signals ambition, but can he lead?
ON MONDAY, MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER announced that Larry Berg would become the league’s third commission following Doug Logan (1996-1999) and now Don Garber (1999-2026). Berg was elected by a two-thirds majority vote among fellow owners. He defeated the other finalist, David Nathanson, who was a former Fox executive. A member of Los Angeles FC’s ownership group, Berg will now have to sell off his interest in that club to assume this role.
Berg, 60, will take over on January 1, 2027, and Garber will transition to a new role as the league’s Chairman. Berg is a native of Cherry Hill, NJ and a graduate of Harvard Business School.
Garber’s era will be defined by growth. When he took over in 1999, the league was struggling to survive. The only team that was playing in a soccer specific stadium was the Columbus Crew. Within two years, the league had to dissolve the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the Miami Fusion.
After that period of instability that included nearly folding, the league began to take off. More teams began to enter, including expansion into Canada. stadiums were built, TV deals became more lucrative, ticket sales increased to the point where the average attendance is over 22,000. Most importantly, the league began to build academies as a way to develop local players. This then saw the creation of its own domestic league in MLS Next Pro.
Bringing the same leadership and passion that defined his decade at LAFC to @MLS.
— LAFC (@LAFC) August 3, 2026
Congratulations ???? pic.twitter.com/JDCxe3XnDD
While Garber was about growth, Berg will be about taking what is existing and making it better. Yes, he will need to negotiate new TV deals, collective bargaining agreements, and oversee more stadiums, but he will want to ensure the league continues to improve on the field and handle the new calender switch smoothly. In addition to MLS, Berg had a background in private equity with Apollo Global Management.
"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’s resume shows that he will likely take an ambitious approach. In MLS, there are two tiers of ownerships with many of the newer owners showing far more willingness to spend and move on from some of the archaic rules that dictate spending.
It must be noted that since LAFC entered the league a decade ago, it has been among the league’s most aggressive teams in terms of spending – both on players and on infrastructure. Berg was very vocal about the need to spend on academies – although LAFC’s success with young players has been far behind other teams. But that is encouraging to see.
Nathanson would have been the appropriate choice for MLS in terms of trying to sell the product to the media, Berg is the choice to build the product. In addition to building LAFC into one of the best and most successful teams in the league, he also co-chaired the league committee that runs roster rules and the calendar. These are two of the most important challenges at hand for the league.
"I'm honored to lead Major League Soccer into its next era," said Berg. "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."
Teams need to be able to spend more. Arguably more important than increasing the salary cap, there needs to be a salary floor so that other teams catch up. Roster rules need to be much clearer. Teams to need to be emboldened to make deals to a wide range of players – from academy levels all the way up to designated players.
Berg comes from an ambitious team, he likely wants to see teams that follow that approach. People who want to see the league become more ambitious have their man.
The biggest question and challenge for Berg is how he can influence the other owners who are reluctant to spend and who are more set in traditional ways. Berg is not a dictator within the league. He needs the backing of the owners on key decisions. He may want the league to be as ambitious as he wants, but can he build the consensus with the owners to make that happen?
Berg received a super majority to be named the commissioner and that likely signals at least a willingness to go along with Berg’s vision. But can he keep that consensus together when the challenges become challenging, as they inevitably will? There will likely be a group that will want to revert back to the status quo, which is good but not great. In those moments we will find out if Berg is the right man.
