Larry Berg reported as next MLS commissioner, succeeding Don Garber
MLS owners reportedly selected LAFC co-managing owner Larry Berg to succeed Don Garber, though the handover date has not been settled.
By Dev Ramirez · Crypto Correspondent
· 3 min read
Larry Berg is reported to be the next Major League Soccer commissioner, a leadership change that puts an LAFC co-managing owner and private-equity executive in line to lead the league through major labor and media negotiations. The reporting is not yet matched by an official MLS announcement in the available evidence, and the timing of Don Garber’s departure remains unclear.
CNBC and The Guardian, each citing people familiar with the decision, reported Aug. 3 that MLS owners selected Berg to succeed Garber. The Guardian said the league’s Board of Governors voted for Berg after a closed-door meeting in Manhattan. Sportico first reported the outcome, according to The Guardian.
Berg is a co-managing owner of Los Angeles Football Club. He previously was a senior partner at Apollo Global Management and is currently a senior partner at 26North, The Guardian reported. He became one of LAFC’s managing owners in 2016, before the club began MLS play in 2018.
For fans and investors watching the business of U.S. soccer, the immediate takeaway is that the league’s next executive is expected to arrive ahead of two scheduled negotiations, while the precise transition plan is still unresolved.
When will Larry Berg become MLS commissioner?
There is no confirmed start date in the reports. Garber has served as commissioner since 1999, and his contract runs through the end of 2027, according to ESPN and The Guardian.
CNBC reported that Berg would take over next year and that Garber would remain in an emeritus role until his contract ends. The Guardian reported a remaining question over whether Garber will leave after MLS’s 2027 sprint season or after the first full fall-to-spring campaign. MLS has shifted its calendar, which makes those possible departure points different.
CNBC also reported, citing its unnamed source, that Berg would have to sell his LAFC ownership stake when he becomes commissioner. Neither the timing nor the terms of any sale were reported.
How did MLS choose Berg?
Berg was one of two final candidates, alongside former Fox executive David Nathanson. ESPN reported in July that Paraag Marathe, president of 49ers Enterprises, had withdrawn from the shortlist, leaving Berg and Nathanson in the running.
MLS said at that time that its Board of Governors was conducting a succession-planning process and that a succession committee was working with Garber and the board, according to ESPN. The league had hired executive-search firm Korn Ferry to assist with the recruitment process.
What will be on the next commissioner’s agenda?
The next commissioner is expected to oversee talks on a new collective bargaining agreement with the MLS Players Association. The current agreement expires Jan. 31, 2028, CNBC and ESPN reported.
MLS will also face its next media-rights negotiations. CNBC reported that the Apple agreement expires after the 2028-29 season, while ESPN described the deal as ending in 2029. These are future responsibilities for Berg once he takes office, not agreements that have already been negotiated.
Garber’s tenure covered an extended period of league expansion. ESPN reported that MLS grew from 12 teams to 30 during his time in office. Berg would become the league’s third commissioner, according to The Guardian.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.
