Don Garber: World Soccer Would Be in ‘Better Shape’ Following MLS’ Structure

Commissioner of Major League Soccer (MLS), Don Garber, has said that international soccer leagues would be better off if they adopted an MLS-style structure. He asserts that this would put the leagues in “much, much better shape.”

During his speech at the Leaders Week 2024 conference in London, Garber expressed his opinion that leagues all around the world could successfully follow the MLS model, which functions as a single business unit without promotion and relegation.

According to Sports Business Journal, Garber told participants:

“If you were to ask the people that are running some of the big European leagues, they’d say, ‘Boy, MLS has got it right.“

The Special Structure of MLS as a Success Model

Garber credited the unique structure of the league for the MLS’s increasing club valuations and the large investments made in soccer-specific stadiums. Since MLS does not have promotion and relegation like the majority of leagues in the world, teams are not in danger of falling to lesser levels following subpar seasons. According to Garber, this discourages owners and government organizations from investing in infrastructure since relegation carries no significant financial risk.

Garber expressed an openness to experimenting with new ideas, especially in the context of expanding minor leagues, even as he defended the current MLS structure. Though within certain competitions, he discussed hypothetical circumstances where promotion and relegation could be investigated.

“I do think that there are ways for us to think about what that could look like going forward as the development of the minor leagues continues to grow.” Garber stated.

He gave the Leagues Cup, an MLS and Liga MX competition, as an example of a competition where teams would be able to qualify using several routes.