'Maybe you merge with another league' - MLS commissioner Don Garber shares views on promotion-relegation and believes league will be a destination for new stars after 2026 World Cup

Securing big names

Garber admitted that the league is an entirely different setup from the one he inherited in 1999. When quizzed about MLS's global appeal in an appearance on

"Back in the day, it was hard to get the big name guys here. Now it's not that hard. Honestly, I think they're calling us," Garber said.

Garber highlighted Inter Miami's successful pursuit of Lionel Messi as evidence for their success:

"You guys have read all the news about Barcelona. You read about the Saudis. We won. I mean, we convinced him to do it, and it's not like he's not here winning trophies. He's playing his butt off. So I think there's no limit to who that might be," Garber said.

He also addressed criticisms around Miami's signing of Messi. Many have pointed out that the league hasn't leveraged Messi's acquisition enough from a marketing standpoint. Garber rubbished that notion:

"Leo has done so much for us. I'll let him - and I'm going to get criticized for this - do his thing and not necessarily feel like he has to do media. Though he's been great to us. He films ads, he films promos. It isn't made for everybody, but the guys who do it for us at our media and marketing events, and they're in our ads. I'm happy for them, and I appreciate it," Garber said.

A continued appeal

Garber also revealed that he is pondering the future of the league. Although Messi penned a long-term extension in Miami that could keep him in the States until 2028, the Commissioner already has more big names on his mind.

"I would love to see somebody who could take our league to the same level that Messi took us and take it further. Is that Vini? I don't know. I mean, is it Mbappe?" he speculated.

He did admit, though, that Christian Pulisic would be a 'game-changer' for the league.

Not handling Freddy Adu well

Garber conceded, though, that the league didn't handle Freddy Adu well. The teenager was thrust into the spotlight at 14-years-old, and saw his career burn out after failing to make an impact with three separate MLS clubs:

"We didn't handle Freddy right. He wasn't ready. The league wasn't ready," Garber said. "We needed something. We had a guy that was playing in the Youth World Cup and these sponsorship deals that he had, he was a kid, and we pushed him, and the team pushed him, and I'm not sure that was the best thing for Freddy to do."

Questions over promotion and relegation

Garber was also quizzed about the possibility of promotion and relegation coming to MLS. He admitted in December 2025 that he could not rule it out. And he doubled down on that notion in the interview:

"I used to say, 'Never, ever, ever,' but I won't say that now. I don't know what the league will look like," Garber said.

He speculated on what a format might look like - highlighting that further league expansion might force them to consider things:

"Maybe you have 32 teams, you need two divisions, and you have to have promotion-relegation. Maybe you merge with another league," he said.