The list of candidates to succeed Don Garber as MLS commissioner has been whittled down to two, with LAFC co-owner Larry Berg and former Fox executive David Nathanson the three finalists, a source confirmed to ESPN on Friday.
49ers Enterprises president Paraag Marathe was also included on the final shortlist, but a source with knowledge of his candidacy said he withdrew his name in the last 24 hours.
The source added that all Berg and Nathanson are expected to attend the MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 29, though no announcement is expected at that time.
Garber, 68, has been MLS commissioner since August 1999. Since then, the league has undergone a period of immense growth, expanding from 12 to 30 teams, with team valuations now averaging $731 million, according to Forbes.
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“Major League Soccer’s Board of Governors has been engaged in a comprehensive succession planning process. As part of that effort, a number of highly qualified individuals have been considered,” MLS said in a statement to ESPN. “The MLS Succession Committee is working with the Commissioner and the Board on this ongoing process.”
MLS announced in February that search firm Korn Ferry would lead the recruitment drive to replace Garber, whose contract is set to expire at the end of 2027. That deal’s expiration comes at an awkward time given that, due to the change in the league calendar to a summer/spring season, it would occur in the middle of the 2027-28 campaign, which would be the first under the new format.
Earlier this year, Garber formed a Succession Committee of owners, which is co-chaired by LAFC managing owner Bennett Rosenthal and Jimmy Haslam, the chairman of Haslam Sports Group, which owns the Columbus Crew.
Korn Ferry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The two candidates have extensive, though varied, backgrounds in the sport. Berg has been co-owner of LAFC since it entered the league back in 2018, and had a four-year stint as managing owner. Nathanson spent eight years at Fox, including a five-year stint as executive vice president and general manager of Fox Soccer. He is also a board member of the U.S. Soccer foundation, a founding investor of NWSL side Angel City FC and a co-owner of MLS side Seattle Sounders FC.
Marathe, who has since dropped out of consideration, served as chairman of English Premier League side Leeds United — which is owned by the 49ers — since last year, after the Niners first invested in the club in 2018. He has spent 25 years with the 49ers organization.
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The new commissioner will face a pair of significant challenges upon taking over. The league’s TV deal with Apple expires at the end of 2029, while the collective bargaining agreement with the MLS Players Association expires on Jan. 31, 2028.
Sportico and Puck were first to report the news.
MLS returned to action on July 16, after taking an extended break during the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
