MLS chief drops verdict on potential US soccer rule change on eve of World Cup draw | OneFootball

Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber has indicated that the league could one day adopt a promotion and relegation system, though he stressed that such a significant shift remains years, if not decades, away.

His comments, made during a news conference on Thursday at D.C. United's Audi Stadium on the eve of the World Cup draw, mark a slight softening of his previous stance against the European soccer model.

MLS, which began in 1996 with just 10 teams, now operates a closed system of 30 clubs.

The latest addition, San Diego, paid a substantial $500 million expansion fee to join the league in 2025.

Garber has historically argued that a promotion and relegation system would be unworkable for MLS due to the immense financial investments owners have made in stadiums, training complexes, and youth academies.

However, the commissioner offered a more open perspective on Thursday.

"There’s no real point of saying never because I don’t know what the future would look like. I certainly never thought we would adapt to the international calendar," he stated.

He added, "Maybe as the development of the lower divisions continue to grow, as they’ve been doing so well over the years, there will be a proper ecosystem, I’m not sure. Frankly, I don’t believe that ecosystem can exist today, but who knows? I’ve learned never say never. That doesn’t mean we’re having promotion relegation any time soon."

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Don Garber had his say on promotion and relegation in MLS (AP)

This comes as the United Soccer League (USL) announced plans earlier this year to launch a top-tier league with a promotion/relegation system by 2027-28.

The USL’s League Championship has been sanctioned as the second-tier division since 2017, comprising 24 teams, while its third-tier League One began play in 2019. The semi-professional USL League Two includes 144 teams across 19 regional divisions.

Beyond the structural future of the league, Garber also addressed pressing issues concerning individual clubs and the league’s leadership.

He expressed strong criticism regarding the lack of progress on stadium planning for the Vancouver Whitecaps, ahead of their MLS title match against Inter Miami.

The Whitecaps are seeking to move from their current tenancy at B.C. Place to a new, dedicated stadium.

"The MLS team, its owners, its fans, its players have done everything to earn the support that they’re not getting today from the city and from the province and that’s an untenable situation," Garber asserted.

He warned that the current situation "has to change," adding, "We had a very positive meeting with the mayor. We’re looking at getting a better lease at B.C. Place right now. There’s been no movement on that and it’s been a month."

Garber concluded with a stark warning: "You need to have cities and provinces do that, and we’re still waiting to see whether they’ll be able to deliver. And if they don’t, we’re going to have to make some tough decisions." The Vancouver club’s owners announced in December that the team was for sale.

Garber, who turned 68 in October and has served as commissioner since August 1999, recently agreed to a contract extension through the 2027 season.

He revealed that MLS is now focusing on succession planning for its leadership. "MLS has almost been operating as a startup for 30 years, so we never gave any thought to succession planning, at all," he admitted.

"High-performing companies need to do that. So the start of this process is to have a proper succession process not just for the next commissioner but for the next leader of our commercial business or the next leader of our sporting business."

Garber stated he has not considered staying beyond 2027, preferring to focus on the immediate future.

In another significant development, MLS owners voted last month to transition to a summer-to-spring schedule from 2027-28, aligning with the calendar of most European leagues.

This marks a departure from its recent February-to-December season. Garber acknowledged the change, noting, "Certainly I wasn’t thinking about the renewal of my last contract with an eye towards the calendar change because we had no idea back then that we’d be doing it. But we’ll figure it out."