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1h ago

Garber Softens on Promotion and Relegation as MLS Begins Succession Planning

He cast the idea as a long-term possibility that depends on a more developed soccer ecosystem.

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Panel with FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger, FIFA's Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis, FIFA's Director of Innovation Johannes Holzmuller and former referee Pierluigi Collina - John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Washington D.C., District of Columbia, U.S. - December 4, 2025 FIFA's Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis and FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger during the panel REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
Nov 29, 2025; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) looks on against New York City FC in the second half during the Eastern Conference Final at Chase Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Panel with FIFA's Wenger, Ellis, & Collina - Audi Field, Washington D.C., District of Columbia, U.S. - December 4, 2025 Don Garber, Commissioner of Major League Soccer, talks during the panel REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Overview

  • MLS owners have launched a formal process to plan leadership succession, with Don Garber under contract through 2027 and undecided about staying beyond then.
  • Garber said promotion and relegation is conceivable over years or decades rather than soon, citing the need for a stronger pyramid and existing investment structures; the USL has announced plans for a 2027–28 pro/rel system.
  • Owners voted to shift the league to a summer-to-spring season starting in 2027–28, moving MLS closer to the European calendar.
  • Garber criticized the lack of progress on a new stadium or improved lease for the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place and warned the league may face “tough decisions” if local authorities do not act, with the club still for sale.
  • He emphasized MLS’s global profile and reduced reliance on U.S. men’s national team results, noting players from roughly 80 countries and star signings such as Lionel Messi and Thomas Müller.