MLS are finally getting serious about life after Don Garber — and the three names left standing tell you everything about where the league thinks it's headed.
According to ESPN, the search to replace the long-serving commissioner has been narrowed down to LAFC co-owner Larry Berg, 49ers Enterprises president Paraag Marathe, and former Fox executive David Nathanson. Three very different profiles, three very different visions of what MLS could become. The choice between them isn't just an administrative decision — it's a statement about identity.
Who Are These Three, Then?
Let's be straight about what each candidate represents. Larry Berg is MLS from the inside. As an LAFC co-owner, he knows the league's machinery, its politics, its pressure points. There's an argument for continuity there, someone who won't need six months just to learn the room. But there's also a real risk of getting more of the same when the league is at a point where bold thinking matters more than comfort.
Paraag Marathe brings serious sports business weight. His work at 49ers Enterprises has been about building franchise value, expanding commercial reach, and thinking globally. That's exactly the kind of brain MLS needs if it wants to stop being treated as an afterthought by the wider football world. The question is whether he sees football specifically as something worth caring about, or just another asset class to optimise.
David Nathanson is the media play. A former Fox executive at a moment when broadcast rights, streaming deals, and digital distribution are reshaping how fans consume football — that's not a coincidence. MLS has historically underperformed on the media side relative to its ambitions, and someone who understands that space from the inside could shift the commercial ceiling considerably.
What This Decision Actually Means
Garber's tenure gave MLS structure and credibility. The league grew from a novelty into something with genuine infrastructure. But the next phase isn't about survival or respectability — it's about relevance. Real, sustained relevance in a global game where the competition for attention is relentless.
The likes of Lewandowski landing at Chicago Fire — as we covered with [Robert Lewandowski's move to the Fire](/getohedz/football/lewa-on-fire-no-euro-club-would-do-after-bara) — and Keylor Navas representing Liga MX at the [MLS All-Star Game](/getohedz/football/navas-headlines-liga-mx-squad-for-mls-asg) are signals that star power and spectacle are being taken seriously. But stars need a structure around them that converts attention into long-term investment and viewership. That's the commissioner's job.
MLS also doesn't exist in isolation. The [USMNT's ongoing search for identity and leadership](/getohedz/football/usmnt-11-potential-pochettino-replacements) runs parallel to this — American football at every level is trying to figure out what it wants to be on the world stage. Whoever takes Garber's seat will be operating in that broader context whether they like it or not.
Our Verdict
None of the three candidates are a wrong answer, but they are very different answers. Berg offers stability, Marathe offers commercial firepower, Nathanson offers media savvy. If we're being direct: the league doesn't need more stability right now. It needs to make noise.
Our money would be on Marathe — but we'd be equally unsurprised if MLS plays it safe and goes with Berg. That, in itself, would tell you something.