Major League Soccer will begin a new stage of leadership in 2027 and its next commissioner has already made clear one of his most important positions. Larry Berg, who will take office on January 1, ruled out the possibility of implementing a promotion and relegation system similar to the European one and assured that this model does not fit into the current project of the American league.

Berg made his first public statements after being introduced in New York as successor to Don Garber, the manager who has led MLS since 1999.

"I don't think it's the right way to build a league, or to get stadiums or training facilities built, or for owners to invest in squads. I don't see it as appropriate for our league, nor do I think it will happen anytime soon," he said.

The future commissioner arrives from LAFC, where he served as co-owner and executive director, and will take the reins of a competition that currently brings together 30 teams.

His intervention came at a time of strong attention on soccer in the United States after the recent World Cup, a tournament that, according to Berg, once again placed this sport at the center of interest of American fans.

The MLS wants to become the favorite league of the local public

Beyond the debate over the competitive format, Berg pointed out what he considers to be the main challenge of his administration: increasing the popularity of MLS among local fans.

"Soccer is already the second or third most popular sport in this country depending on the demographic, and the younger the people are, the more popular it is. Our challenge is to make the MLS the most popular soccer league," he explained during the presentation event.

The MLS is the top category of professional soccer in the United States, although it is still behind international leagues such as the Premier League or La Liga in terms of following and consumption among fans.

Berg did not detail specific measures to achieve that goal, but insisted that the league must take advantage of the momentum generated by the World Cup to consolidate its growth.

Youth development and continuity of the current model

Another highlight of his speech was the importance of training young footballers capable of nurturing the national team.

The leader linked that need to the recent performance of the American team, which was eliminated in the round of 16 of the World Cup after losing 1-4 against Belgium.

Although he avoided presenting a specific sports plan, he stressed that investment in young talent will be a priority during his mandate.

The continuity of the current model was also reflected in its rejection of promotion and relegation. Berg considered that institutional stability favors the construction of stadiums, training centers and competitive teams, in addition to encouraging investment by owners.

With this statement, the next commissioner marked a clear line of continuity with respect to the structure that MLS has developed over the last decades under Garber's management.

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