Garber, who has served as commissioner since 1999, has a contract with the league that runs until the end of 2027. The league announced Monday that he will transition to the role of chairman after Berg assumes the role, to ensure \u201ca seamless leadership transition as MLS enters one of the most significant periods in its history\u201d.<\/p>\n
Berg is required to divest his shares of LAFC as part of the transition process, the league said.<\/p>\n
The vote took place among all MLS owners on Monday at the league\u2019s headquarters in midtown Manhattan in a closed-door meeting, after presentations given by Berg and David Nathanson, the other candidate for the post, earlier in the day. Nathanson\u2019s background was largely in sports media. He spent significant time working for Fox, while also investing in the Seattle Sounders, Angel City FC (NWSL) and the Seattle Kraken (NHL).<\/p>\n
Berg comes from a private equity investment background. He is a senior adviser at 26North and was previously a partner at Apollo Global Management and the chair of McGraw-Hill Education. He initially invested as a limited partner when LAFC was launched in 2014 and became one of the club\u2019s managing owners in 2016 after an internal buyout. He is the co-chair of MLS\u2019s sporting and competition committee.<\/p>\n
LAFC first took the field in 2018 with former US manager Bob Bradley as coach and then-Mexico international Carlos Vela as headliner. The club quickly became one of the league\u2019s model operations, perennial contenders on the pitch and a respected operation in many other departments. Sporting director John Thorrington, one of the club\u2019s first hires, was named MLS sporting executive of the year in 2024, while LAFC was named the Operations Club of the Year in 2023.<\/p>\n
The club has consistently been among the league\u2019s most valuable franchises since debuting, with Forbes estimating a valuation of $1.32bn<\/a> as of May. Berg\u2019s experience of building a well-supported club in a major market will be crucial as MLS tries to make greater inroads in other cities, such as New York and Chicago. As commissioner, he will take cues from all of MLS\u2019s owners, including those in smaller markets who haven\u2019t historically invested in their rosters to the extent that LAFC have.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving worked closely with Larry over the past decade, I\u2019ve seen first-hand the qualities that make him an exceptional leader, and I have complete confidence he is the right person to serve as Major League Soccer\u2019s next Commissioner,\u201d Garber said in a written statement. \u201cI look forward to working alongside Larry during this transition and supporting him as he leads MLS into its next chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n Berg has been a vocal supporter of MLS\u2019s trajectory, stating in February 2020 that he believes MLS would \u201cpass baseball and hockey to be the No 3 sport in the US behind football and basketball\u201d by the end of the current decade. He cited the league\u2019s burgeoning academy system as evidence, as well as the intrinsic pull of living in the United States.<\/p>\n
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