New York (AFP) – Major League Soccer named Los Angeles FC co-managing owner Larry Berg as the league’s next commissioner on Monday, saying he will take the helm from Don Garber on January 1, 2027. Berg will become the third commissioner in the history of the league. Garber, who took over the job from Doug Logan in 1999, will shift to the role of chairman in 2027 to ensure a seamless leadership transition, MLS said in a statement.
“I’m honored to lead Major League Soccer into its next era,” Berg said in a statement issued by the league after owners voted on Monday in New York to give him the job. The league has achieved tremendous success “but I believe our greatest opportunities are still ahead,” he added. “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.”
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Under MLS rules, Berg will give up his ownership interest in LAFC to take on the role. MLS said he would divest his ownership interest “through the league’s established transition process to ensure he leads the league and its 30 clubs with full impartiality.” Berg helped put Southern California club LAFC among the league’s elite, winning the MLS Cup in 2022 and nabbing the Supporters’ Shield as the top team in the overall regular season standings in 2019 and 2022. In addition to his experience with LAFC, Berg has a background in private equity and finance.
Garber departs after a 27-year tenure during which he steered the league through serious financial challenges in the 2000s. The league lost two clubs in 2002, but under Garber’s leadership, MLS has grown in both the number and value of clubs. Over the next two years, the league will undergo further transformation as it transitions from its current February-December schedule into a season that aligns with most football leagues worldwide.
The change will see a February-to-May campaign in 2027, dubbed the “MLS Sprint Season.” That will set the stage for the kickoff of the 2027-28 season in July 2027, concluding with the 2028 MLS Cup in May 2028. Other issues that will face Berg are proposed changes to roster and salary cap rules, a new collective bargaining agreement with players, and a new media-rights deal, with the current agreement with Apple TV ending in mid-2029.
“Larry Berg is the right leader for Major League Soccer’s next chapter,” said Jimmy Haslam, chief executive of Haslam Sports Group, which owns not only MLS’s Columbus Crew but also the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and a stake in the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. Haslam co-chaired the succession committee that led the search for Garber’s replacement. “Throughout our process, it became clear that Larry is uniquely qualified to lead MLS through one of the most significant periods in its history,” Haslam said.
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