Outgoing chief believes MLS could surpass Premier League as most valuable in the world | OneFootball

Outgoing Major League Soccer (MLS) Commissioner Don Garber believes the competition can challenge Europe and South America as the world’s most valuable league in the future.

MLS is looking to build on the momentum created by the 2026 FIFA World Cup as it pursues its long-term goal of becoming one of the world’s leading football leagues.

The World Cup was a major commercial success across North America, with each game attracting huge crowds, strong television audiences and widespread interest in football. 

While the United States were eliminated in the round of 16 following a heavy defeat against Belgium, the World Cup highlighted football’s growing popularity across the country.

League officials now want to ensure that the excitement generated by the World Cup continues for years to come, much like the impact of the 1994 tournament.

That edition paved the way for the launch of MLS two years later.

Garber believes American football has reached an important milestone and has the potential to challenge the traditional powerhouses of Europe and South America in the future.

He said the tournament demonstrated that the United States has become a true football nation and has developed into one of the sport’s biggest commercial markets.

“We proved that we are a soccer nation over the last month,” he said (via talkSPORT). “We proved that we can build the most valuable commercial market in the world [for soccer].”

That confidence comes from the growing value of MLS clubs over the past few years.

According to Forbes, Inter Miami, Los Angeles FC, LA Galaxy, Atlanta United and New York City FC are now each worth more than $1 billion. 

Those figures are a drop in the bucket when compared to some of the biggest clubs in the world, but they’re on par with several established Premier League clubs.

MLS also expects to still attract higher attendances and commercial growth long after the World Cup.

Lionel Messi’s arrival in Miami in 2023 transformed the league’s global profile, but league executives know they must continue attracting fans even after he eventually retires.

Media rights will also play a key role, with Apple’s current broadcasting agreement worth around $250 million per year and running until 2029. 

League officials are hoping the next television deal could rise to between $400m and $500m annually, bringing it closer to the value of the Premier League’s current US broadcast agreement.