Key keywords: Larry Berg, Major League Soccer commissioner, Don Garber successor, 2025 MLS leadership transition, North American soccer growth, 2026 FIFA World Cup, MLS expansion, Apple TV MLS Season Pass, MLS youth academy development Major League Soccer (MLS) announced Wednesday that Larry Berg, co-owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and a veteran private equity executive, has been appointed as the league’s next commissioner, set to take office on January 1, 2025. He will replace Don Garber, who has led the league for 26 years and overseen its transformation from a 10-team fledgling competition in 1999 to one of the fastest-growing top-tier sports leagues in North America, with 29 active teams and three additional expansion franchises set to launch by 2027. Berg, who has served on the MLS board of governors for 12 years, was selected following a 10-month search process that evaluated more than 50 candidates across sports, media, and business sectors. In his opening remarks following the announcement, Berg outlined three core priorities for his tenure: maximizing the league’s opportunity around the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico with 14 MLS venues serving as match sites, expanding the reach of the league’s global media partnership with Apple TV, and closing the competitive gap between MLS and top European and South American leagues. Under Garber’s leadership, MLS grew its annual revenue from less than $50 million in 2000 to more than $1.8 billion in 2023, while the average franchise valuation now tops $700 million. Berg noted that he plans to build on that foundation while addressing longstanding fan and player concerns, including adjustments to the league’s salary cap structure, expanded investment in youth academies across all franchises, and improved fan experience at lower-income seating sections to make matches more accessible to diverse communities. League officials confirmed that Garber will remain in an advisory role for 12 months following Berg’s inauguration to support a smooth leadership transition, particularly for ongoing negotiations around international tournament partnerships and the next round of expansion team bids. Berg also stated that he will schedule listening sessions with fan groups, player representatives, and small-market franchise owners in his first 90 days in the role to gather input on unmet needs across the league ecosystem.