MLS commissioner Don Garber said he “doesn't think there is the same dependency today as there was years ago” on his league when it comes to the U.S. national team's success at the World Cup.
Garber made the announcement during his annual State of the Union address, which traditionally takes place during MLS Cup week, no matter which city the tournament is being held in. This year, however, Garber spoke and answered questions from the media at Audi Field, home of D.C. United, the night before the 2026 World Cup draw. The U.S. is eagerly awaiting the reveal of its opponents in the tournament it will co-host, and the level of competition will likely help determine whether the U.S. can make it past the quarterfinals, which would be its best finish in the modern era.
Garber said that while the head coach of the US team Mauricio Pochettino “selects many MLS players” into its final World Cup squad that the league does not necessarily need a team to succeed in order to maximize the “World Cup punch” that traditionally accompanies the tournament.
“I remember in 2002 we were preparing for an exciting time for American players in our league, and we were sitting in our offices and saying, 'We need to sign as many American players as possible to play in Major League Soccer,'” he said. “We had the idea that we were focusing on the success of our national team to be successful.”
Garber now said that thanks to the growing number of international players – especially high-profile ones – that momentum is a little less in the modern era.
“We get to represent 80 different countries,” Garber said. “We have 37 players who are competing for their national team. We will have several players playing for Argentina. We will have a captain or a star player. [Lionel Messi]We are so excited about the stars competing in our league.”
Vancouver Whitecaps face 'difficult decision'
At one point, Garber was asked about the future of one of the teams competing in tomorrow's MLS Cup final. The Vancouver Whitecaps had the best season in their history and one of the best seasons in the league this year, reaching the final, and the mid-season acquisition of Thomas Muller gave the team a boost ahead of facing Inter Miami and Messi on the showpiece occasion.
However, the team began the year by considering a sale due to the team's unfavorable lease at BC Place, the downtown stadium where the Whitecaps are tenants.
“The MLS team, its owners, its fans, its players have done everything to deserve the support that they are not receiving today from the city and the province,” Garber said.
“What more can you do? Go to the finals and convince the entire country that MLS is an important and valuable part of its sporting landscape. We are building soccer stadiums, we will soon have 30 of them. We are tenants in BC Place.”
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Garber praised Vancouver as a market, calling it “one of the best soccer cities in North America.” And he noted that BC Place will host World Cup games in 2026. But he said that as far as the Whitecaps were concerned, “what we have there has to change.”
Garber said there had been no action to create a new stadium for the Whitecaps in the area, despite talks with various authorities going on for more than a year. The club hired investment bank Goldman Sachs to broker the sale last year, but no concrete news has emerged about potential buyers.
“We're in the business of providing services to people who really want an MLS team,” Garber said. “We'll have to wait and see if cities and provinces are willing to do this. If they don't, we'll have to make some tough decisions.”
