In a move that reaffirms its deeply corporate vision, Major League Soccer (MLS) has decided to hand the reins of its future to one of its own. Larry Berg, current co-owner of LAFC and a veteran of major private equity firms, has been named the league’s next commissioner, succeeding the long-serving Don Garber.
Berg, who will be officially introduced today in Manhattan, will assume the top position on January 1, 2027. For his part, Garber will remain at the helm until the end of 2026, at which point he will assume the role of league president, ensuring a transition designed to protect the financial ecosystem of U.S. soccer.
A Career Forged on Wall Street
Although the league’s official statement goes out of its way to highlight Berg’s passion for the game and his international investments in clubs such as AS Roma (Italy) and Swansea City (Wales), his true clout stems from the world of finance.
With more than three decades at the elite level of private equity—notably including his tenure at the giant Apollo Global Management—Berg’s arrival represents the consolidation of MLS as a business machine where profit margins dictate the direction of the game. To avoid a direct conflict of interest, the league announced that Berg will divest his stake in LAFC before taking the helm to ensure his “impartiality.”
The Challenge of Managing the Post-2026 Era
The timing of this leadership transition is no coincidence. Berg will take full control of the league right after the excitement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America has died down, facing a high-pressure scenario.
His immediate agenda for 2027 will include issues that will determine whether MLS takes a leap forward or stagnates:
- The implementation of a new and controversial competition schedule.
- The evolution of the restrictive salary cap and payroll model.
- The negotiation of future television rights.
- Reaching a new collective bargaining agreement with the players’ union.
“It is an honor to lead Major League Soccer into its next era. I believe our greatest opportunities are still ahead of us,” Berg said in the announcement of his appointment, promising to develop world-class players and raise the league’s international profile.
For his part, Don Garber—the man who, over 27 years, transformed MLS from a 10-team experiment into a 30-club commercial franchise—endorsed the appointment, asserting that Berg possesses the “collaborative leadership” necessary for the role.
It remains to be seen whether the appointment of a private equity expert will help MLS finally achieve the global sporting prestige it so desires, or whether his tenure will be limited to further inflating the economic bubble of the U.S. franchises.
