Pro-Rel Coming To MLS After 2026 World Cup?: 'Maybe You Merge With Another League'
#MLS #Don Garber #Lionel Messi #promotion-relegation #Inter Miami #player acquisition #marketing #2026 World Cup
📌 Key Takeaways
- MLS Commissioner Don Garber states the league no longer needs to actively recruit top European stars, as they now approach MLS.
- Garber cites Inter Miami's signing of Lionel Messi as a key success, demonstrating the league's increased global appeal and competitiveness.
- Garber dismisses criticism that MLS hasn't fully leveraged Messi's marketing potential, expressing satisfaction with his promotional contributions.
- Garber expresses openness to future high-profile signings and hints at considering structural changes like promotion-relegation post-2026 World Cup.
📖 Full Retelling
MLS Commissioner Don Garber backed MLS to continue to invest in top European talent in an appearance on the Late Run. The executive, who oversaw the acquisitions of David Beckham and Lionel Messi, asserted that MLS no longer has to reach out to the top stars of the global game. He also touched on the possibility of promotion-relegation being a part of the league's future. 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
🏷️ Themes
League Growth, Player Recruitment, Future Planning
Entity Intersection Graph
No entity connections available yet for this article.
Original Source
MLS Commissioner Don Garber backed MLS to continue to invest in top European talent in an appearance on the Late Run. The executive, who oversaw the acquisitions of David Beckham and Lionel Messi, asserted that MLS no longer has to reach out to the top stars of the global game. He also touched on the possibility of promotion-relegation being a part of the league's future. 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
Read full article at source