Larry Berg Elected Next MLS Commissioner, Succeeding Don Garber
Larry Berg, co-owner of Los Angeles FC and former Apollo Global Management senior partner, has been voted the next commissioner of Major League Soccer, succeeding Don Garber. Berg received the required two-thirds supermajority from MLS owners, defeating former Fox executive David Nathanson. He will assume the role on January 1, 2027, and must divest his LAFC stake. Berg inherits critical challenges including roster rule reforms, a new collective bargaining agreement with players, and a media rights deal renewal as the league transitions to a summer-to-spring calendar.
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Reports are grouped by semantic similarity and deterministic rules. Language models may assist titles, summaries, translation and cross-source analysis; the page reads the event directly, while its address stays stable when the title changes.
- Source updates available; summary pending
Summary pending
Cross-source coverage
Reporting timeline
Larry Berg Elected as Next MLS Commissioner, Promises Growth and Reform
Larry Berg, co-owner of Los Angeles FC and former senior partner at Apollo Global Management, has been unanimously elected as the next commissioner of Major League Soccer, succeeding Don Garber. Berg will assume the role full-time on January 1, 2027, while Garber remains chairman until his contract expires. In an interview with The Athletic, Berg outlined his vision for the league, including schedule reform (a 'Sprint Season' transition to a summer-to-spring calendar), new playoff and conference formats, roster investment changes, and a focus on youth development. He emphasized the need to grow the fan base and leverage the upcoming World Cup as 'rocket fuel' for media rights negotiations. Berg, a lifelong soccer fan, cited his deal-making skills and ability to build consensus among the league's 30 owners as key strengths. The selection process involved 125 initial candidates, narrowed to three finalists including Berg, former Fox executive David Nathanson, and San Francisco 49ers executive Paraag Marathe.
Read sourceNext MLS Commissioner Larry Berg Ready to Capitalize on 2026 World Cup Momentum
Larry Berg, 60, was introduced as the next commissioner of Major League Soccer on August 3, 2026, succeeding Don Garber after 27 years. Berg, a former co-owner of LAFC, emphasized building on the league's foundation and leveraging the 2026 FIFA World Cup to drive growth. He stated the league must convert new fans into lifelong supporters by strengthening club-community ties and creating memorable experiences. The article also notes that MLS's 10-year, $2.3 billion Apple TV deal was shortened to 2029, leaving the league to decide on future media partnerships. Berg stressed finding partners willing to co-create the league's future. The World Cup, which concluded in July 2026, is seen as a catalyst to elevate MLS to a higher orbit, similar to how the 1994 World Cup birthed the league.
Read sourceNew commissioner Larry Berg on the MLS he's inheriting: 'There's so much upside left'
Larry Berg, co-owner of LAFC and former senior partner at Apollo Global Management, has been unanimously voted as the next commissioner of Major League Soccer, succeeding Don Garber who has held the role since 1999. Berg will transition full-time on January 1, 2027, while Garber remains chairman through 2027. The announcement was made on August 4, 2026, following a vote by MLS owners. Berg faces immediate challenges including leading MLS through a calendar flip to a summer-spring format, implementing a new competition structure with divisions and postseason changes, and negotiating a new roster investment model linked to the upcoming collective bargaining agreement with the MLS Players Association (expiring January 31, 2028). Berg emphasized his deal-making skills and passion for elevating soccer in the region, citing untapped upside for the league.
Read sourceShow 7 older updatesHide older updates
New commissioner Larry Berg on the MLS he’s inheriting: ‘There’s so much upside left’
Larry Berg, co-owner of LAFC and former senior partner at Apollo Global Management, has been unanimously voted by MLS owners as the league's third commissioner, succeeding Don Garber who has held the role since 1999. Berg will transition full-time on January 1, 2027, while Garber remains chairman through his contract in 2027. The announcement was made on August 4, 2026, following a vote at MLS headquarters in New York. Berg, a lifelong soccer fan from New Jersey, outlined his vision for the league, emphasizing significant upside and the need to elevate soccer in the region. He faces immediate challenges including a sprint season ahead of MLS flipping its calendar to a summer-spring format, changes to competition structure, and a new roster investment model that may require a new collective bargaining agreement with players. Berg highlighted his deal-making skills as key to bridging divides among owners with differing viewpoints.
Read sourceNew commissioner Larry Berg on the MLS he's inheriting: 'There's so much upside left'
Larry Berg, co-owner of LAFC and former senior partner at Apollo Global Management, has been unanimously voted as the next commissioner of Major League Soccer, succeeding Don Garber who has held the role since 1999. Berg will transition full-time on January 1, 2027, while Garber remains chairman through 2027. The announcement was made on August 4, 2026, following an ownership vote at MLS headquarters in New York. Berg outlined key priorities including overseeing MLS's calendar shift to a summer-spring format, implementing new competition structures with divisions and a revised postseason, and negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the players' union (current CBA expires January 31, 2028). Berg emphasized his deal-making skills and passion for elevating soccer in the region, citing missed opportunities in Concacaf Champions Cup and Club World Cup competitiveness.
Read sourceMLS Owners Elect LAFC Co-Owner Larry Berg as Next Commissioner, Succeeding Don Garber
Major League Soccer club owners have voted to elect Larry Berg, co-owner of Los Angeles FC, as the league's third commissioner, succeeding Don Garber who has served since 1999. Berg, a former senior partner at Apollo Global Management, received the required two-thirds supermajority support in a vote held Monday at MLS headquarters in New York. He will need to sell his stake in LAFC upon assuming the role. Garber is expected to remain until at least end of 2025, with his contract expiring in 2027. During Garber's tenure, MLS expanded from 12 to 30 teams and club valuations rose significantly. Berg faces several key challenges including completing roster rule reforms by summer 2027, negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the players union, and securing a significantly larger media rights deal as the current Apple contract expires in 2029. Berg has previously co-chaired the league's Competition Committee and is viewed as a moderate reformer who has pushed for increased decision-making efficiency.
Read sourceLarry Berg Named Next Major League Soccer Commissioner
Larry Berg, co-owner of Los Angeles FC and former senior partner at Apollo Global Management, has been named the next commissioner of Major League Soccer, succeeding Don Garber next year. Berg will sell his ownership stake in LAFC upon assuming the role. Garber, who has led MLS since 1999 and transformed it into a multibillion-dollar league, will stay on in an emeritus role through the end of his contract in 2027. Berg faces key challenges including negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with players (current deal expires January 2028) and overseeing the league's next media rights negotiations after the Apple deal ends following the 2028-2029 season. MLS franchises now include seven of the top 30 most valuable soccer clubs globally, led by Inter Miami at $1.6 billion.
Read sourceLarry Berg to become next MLS commissioner after owners vote on Garber successor
Major League Soccer owners have voted to elect LAFC co-owner Larry Berg as the league's third commissioner, succeeding Don Garber who will transition to chairman at the end of 2026. Berg, 60, a former senior partner at Apollo Global Management, defeated former Fox executive David Nathanson in the final vote, receiving the required two-thirds super majority. He will officially take charge on January 1, 2027, and must divest his ownership stake in LAFC. Berg faces critical challenges including implementing a new summer-to-spring calendar, negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the MLS Players Association, and securing a more lucrative media rights deal as the current Apple contract expires in 2029. The league aims to streamline roster rules and increase spending to compete globally.
Larry Berg to become next MLS commissioner after owners vote on Garber successor
Los Angeles FC co-owner Larry Berg has been voted the next commissioner of Major League Soccer, becoming only the third commissioner in league history. The 60-year-old former senior partner at Apollo Global Management received the required two-thirds super majority from MLS owners, beating out former Fox executive David Nathanson. Berg will succeed Don Garber, who has served since 1999 and oversaw MLS's growth from 12 to 30 teams. Berg must divest his LAFC ownership stake and will lead the league through critical decisions including roster rule changes, a new collective bargaining agreement, and a media rights deal renewal. The league is transitioning to a summer-to-spring calendar aligned with European leagues, with playoffs moving to May. Berg's appointment comes at an inflection point as MLS seeks to increase revenues and competitiveness globally.
Larry Berg to become next MLS commissioner after owners vote on Garber successor
Los Angeles FC co-owner Larry Berg has been voted the next commissioner of Major League Soccer, becoming only the third commissioner in league history. Berg, 60, will officially take charge on January 1, 2027, succeeding Don Garber who has served since 1999 and oversaw MLS's growth from 12 to 30 teams. Berg defeated former Fox executive David Nathanson in the final vote, receiving the required two-thirds super majority from MLS owners. Berg must divest his ownership stake in LAFC. The league faces critical decisions including roster rule changes to increase spending competitiveness, negotiations with the MLS Players Association on a new collective bargaining agreement, and a new media rights deal as the current Apple contract expires in 2029. MLS is also transitioning to a summer-to-spring calendar aligned with European leagues.