The U.S. has definitively shown it is a soccer country during the FIFA men’s World Cup, MLS commissioner Don Garber said, providing a fertile foundation for the pro league following the tournament’s conclusion on Sunday.
Speaking with Front Office Sports, Garber said that any remaining questions about the viability of soccer in what remains an American football-first country have now been put to rest.
“We proved that we are a soccer nation over the last month,” Garber said. “We proved that we can build the most valuable commercial market in the world [for soccer].”
MLS has already started its marketing toward newly arrived soccer fans, initiating a large-scale campaign this week that involves every facet of the league.
Beyond any specific tactics, though, Garber said soccer’s place in the U.S. sports hierarchy has fundamentally shifted after the historic gains the World Cup has provided over the last five weeks.
“This World Cup gave us an opportunity as Americans to rediscover ourselves, at a time when it’s been difficult to do that,” Garber said. “It brought out the best in all of us and showed that ‘The Beautiful Game’ is ‘The Beautiful Game’ for that reason. It’s not just about wins and losses. It’s about everything around it.”
Looking Ahead
After MLS pivots next year to the international standard of a fall-to spring schedule, the post-2027 period also is set to include a new commissioner.
Already, club owners have initiated a formal succession process that not only includes the commissioner’s post but also other senior positions in the MLS office.
According to multiple reports, top candidates to succeed Garber include LAFC co-owner Larry Berg, 49ers Enterprises president Paraag Marathe, and former Fox executive David Nathanson.
“Major League Soccer’s Board of Governors has been engaged in a comprehensive succession planning process,” the league said in a statement Friday. “As part of that effort, a number of highly qualified individuals have been considered. The MLS succession committee is working with the commission and the board on this ongoing process.”
Garber said he is openly embracing that process as he feels a deep satisfaction over his nearly three-decade run at MLS. That tenure has included multiple waves of expansion to 30 teams, the development of soccer-specific stadiums all over the country, and the establishment of MLS as one of the top leagues in the world commercially, even if the league on the field still lags behind Europe’s Big Five led by the Premier League in England.
“I couldn’t feel any better than I have felt over the last couple of years,” Garber said. “I have done the job I set out to do. I wanted to capture the new America and build a nation that loves the sport. And we’ve proved that. I feel like I can hold my head high.
“I’ve said my contract is running through 2027. I will be in this office until 2027, and whether or not I’m commissioner, we’ll wait to see. There is a succession process that is not only ongoing but I’m supportive of it. I’m embracing it. I feel great about it,” Garber said.
