There were 552 days on the World Cup clock when MLS commissioner Don Garber stepped to a lectern last Friday and spoke, yet again, about “unbelievable opportunity.” He was summarizing the state of the league, and recounting a “great” 29th season. But, as always, the questions he faced were forward-looking. How, one asked, does MLS plan to capitalize on “opportunity”? With the 2026 World Cup approaching, what, exactly, is the league doing to maximize impact? How will it attract new fans, and lure more subscribers to its Apple TV streaming service, which many believe is limiting its reach beyond core supporters?
Garber spoke about collecting and “leaning in” to consumer data.
He mentioned Apple’s global reach, “high technology” broadcasts and “interactivity.”
He mused about tweaks — or even a sea change — to the league’s “competitive format.”
He touched on storytelling, on sponsorship growth, on digital engagement and a bunch of other buzzwords … but not so much on the one that, in theory, should be central to any soccer league’s plan: soccer players.
When asked whether he and MLS owners planned to make significant changes to spending rules, Garber concluded: “I don’t anticipate anything significant happening in the next couple years.”
And throughout a 40-minute news conference, he struck a less ambitious tone than he has previously in the Lionel Messi era.
Messi’s arrival amplified an ongoing debate within and around MLS about the league’s trajectory — and the investment required to accelerate it. With Messi here; with the 2024 Copa América, 2025 Club World Cup and 2026 World Cup coming; and with MLS more stable than ever before, many wondered: might now be the time to loosen roster restrictions, raise the salary cap, and unshackle ambitious owners in an attempt to elevate the on-field quality of the league?
“We’re gonna have the eyes of the world on us,” Garber said at last year’s “state of the league” address. “And the soccer market here in the United States is gonna be exposed to the entire global soccer and football community. And that is the pressure we’re under: As everybody’s paying attention to us, what is the product that we can deliver?”
He even set a deadline — “being the league we want to be in 2027.”
He reiterated that the “goal” was to “be one of the top soccer leagues in the world, to be part of a global conversation.”
His most important business partner, Apple’s Eddy Cue, went a step further last November: “People think it’s crazy, but [given the size and economic power of America,] why wouldn’t we have the best soccer league in the world?”
And in February, Cue, who oversees Apple’s 10-year, $2.5 billion rights deal with MLS, offered a blunt roadmap to the lofty aim: “When anybody asks, ‘What do I want from [MLS] teams,’ I’m like, ‘Sign some more players!’”
At the time, doors seemed ajar. Also in February, when pressed on why roster rules remained static entering 2024, MLS executive VP of player strategy Todd Durbin said that the league had actually eschewed minor changes because they didn’t want to “corner ourselves, or pigeonhole ourselves,” in case they “wanted to make more sweeping changes, or do a more significant overhaul of the system.” For months, he and the league office, in tandem with the owner-led sporting and competition committee, studied the pros and cons of doing just that.
What they apparently came up with, however, were the three “substantial” but incremental changes announced in July.
They granted clubs more flexibility in roster construction, and the ability to build squads that were less top-heavy. They allowed some teams to add extra young players at discount rates.
Reforming MLS Spending Rules: A Slow and Methodical Growth
Clubs are now allowed to reinvest more of their earnings from player sales abroad, a move that could potentially boost their competitiveness.
However, despite this change, the intricate system of transactions and spending limits in MLS remains intact, hindering the league’s ascent to the top tiers of global soccer. Teams like Inter Miami and LAFC are still a far cry from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur or Porto.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber hinted that significant alterations to spending regulations are unlikely in the near future. The league’s stringent rules serve to prevent costly transfer blunders and steer clubs towards making sound investments in players.
Moreover, these regulations help control expenses and address concerns from team owners about the return on their substantial investments in player salaries, transfer fees, youth academies, and other infrastructure.
Garber emphasized the need to justify the league’s significant yearly investment in academies and expressed hope for continued growth in the market value of MLS teams.
While MLS aims to enhance its competitiveness, it appears that rapid ascension to the top echelons of global soccer is not on the immediate horizon. The focus remains on steady progress and incremental improvements rather than drastic changes.
As discussions continue, MLS is set to evolve slowly but steadily, with the ultimate goal of enhancing competitiveness and positioning itself favorably in the global soccer landscape.