Don Garber on MLS expansion: ‘Don’t see us going beyond 32′

MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a TV interview Sunday that he does not believe expansion beyond the league’s current 30 teams is imminent and does not anticipate the league ever growing beyond 32 teams. Speaking to Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade, Garber cited “schedule makeup and the like” as the reason MLS would not have more than 32 teams.

“For a lot of different reasons -- schedule makeup and the like -- I don’t see us going beyond 32, and I’m not sure 32 is coming anytime soon,” Garber said. “It’s about making what we have bigger, better, stronger and capturing this cultural moment.”

Garber’s comments come with MLS ownership in the advanced stages of selecting the league’s next commissioner. The field was narrowed earlier this month to two final candidates: LAFC co-managing owner Larry Berg and former Fox Sports executive David Nathanson. The two are expected to make final presentations to owners as early as next week following the MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte this Wednesday.

Positioning MLS’s next two expansion franchises as the final opportunities to buy into the league could help Garber or his successor boost a potential expansion fee. San Diego FC is the most recent team to join the league, with ownership agreeing in 2023 to pay $500M for the franchise that debuted in 2025.

Garber also addressed NYCFC’s expressions of interest in signing USMNT F Christian Pulisic, throwing his weight behind the team’s efforts.

“Come to Major League Soccer, spread your wings, be a star, be just up the road from your family in Pennsylvania,” Garber said. “I hope they get it done.”