MLS owners have selected LAFC co-owner Larry Berg as the league’s next commissioner, succeeding Don Garber on January 1, 2027.
Berg inherits a league at a pivotal moment, with several significant structural and commercial decisions requiring his immediate attention upon taking office.
One of the most pressing issues Berg will tackle is roster and salary cap reform, an area where owners have already acknowledged the current system is too restrictive.
Berg has stated that his number one job is enhancing the roster investment model so teams can have more freedom to construct squads that work best for their individual markets.
The current limitations on roster construction have frustrated clubs across the league, and there is broad consensus among ownership groups that meaningful change is long overdue.
A new media rights deal will also rank among Berg’s top priorities, even though the existing agreement with Apple, worth $250 million per year, does not expire until after the 2029 season.
Berg has confirmed the league is already planning what its next contract could look like, with MLS expecting to begin engaging the marketplace within 12 to 18 months.
The league is hopeful that broadcast revenue could double when the next media rights cycle begins, which would represent a transformative financial boost for clubs and the competition.
Berg will also oversee one of the most significant structural changes in league history, guiding MLS through its transition to a summer-to-spring calendar to better align with international counterparts.
Currently the league plays a late winter to late fall schedule, but following the conclusion of the current season, MLS will play a shortened 14-game sprint season in early 2027 before switching permanently to the new format.
Collective bargaining represents another major challenge on Berg’s agenda, with a new agreement between the league and its players needing to be negotiated.
Perhaps the most ambitious target Berg faces is establishing MLS among the world’s five leading leagues, both competitively and commercially, within a meaningful timeframe.
That global ambition also includes developing players capable of winning major trophies with the United States national teams, raising the stakes of the league’s broader developmental mission.
Berg takes charge of a league that has grown substantially in recent years but must now prove it can compete at the highest levels of world football to fulfil its long-term potential.
