LAFC Co-Managing Owner Larry Berg celebrates win over Sporting Kansas City in the finals of the 2024 Lamar Hunt U. S. Open Cup at BMO Stadium on September 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Shaun Clark | ISI Photos | USSF | Getty Images
Larry Berg has been named the next commissioner of Major League Soccer, the league announced on Monday.
Berg will take the helm from longtime commissioner Don Garber next year. Garber will stay on as chairman through the end of his contact at the end of 2027.
Berg is currently co-owner of MLS’ Los Angeles Football Club, though he will have to sell his stake upon becoming commissioner, the league confirmed. Berg was formerly a senior partner at Apollo Global Management for three decades.
At LAFC, he helped build the club into one of the most valuable MLS franchises, and won the MLS Cup in 2022.
“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.
Garber, 68, has held the commissioner position since 1999, transforming the league from a struggling startup into a multibillion-dollar sports league. During his tenure, he’s grown the league from 10 to 30 clubs and overseen the development of 26 soccer stadiums. He’s also attracted a new generation of owners that have led to record-high valuations.
In CNBC’s Official Global Soccer Team Valuations 2026, MLS franchises made up seven of the top 30 most valuable franchises in the world, led by Inter Miami at $1.6 billion.
“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,” Berg said in a statement.
Among Berg’s first major challenges will be negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with MLS players. The current agreement expires at the end of January 2028.
He will also oversee the league’s next media rights negotiations after its deal with Apple expires following the 2028-2029 season.
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