America Caught World Cup Fever. His Job Is to Capitalize on It.
Don Garber, the M.L.S. commissioner, has been planning for this moment for eight years.
America’s growing enthusiasm for the World Cup is becoming a business opportunity for Major League Soccer, and Don Garber has spent years preparing for it.
According to a New York Times Business report, the M.L.S. commissioner has been planning for this moment for eight years, positioning the league to benefit as the United States gets swept up in soccer attention ahead of the tournament. The report frames Garber’s effort as part of a broader push to turn increased national interest in the sport into lasting gains for M.L.S.
The timing matters. World Cup cycles often generate a surge in casual interest from fans who do not regularly follow domestic soccer, and league officials have long hoped that some of that attention will carry over once the global tournament ends. Garber’s strategy, as described in the report, is aimed at making sure M.L.S. is ready to capture that audience rather than lose it when the spotlight moves on.
The New York Times Business piece does not lay out every element of the plan, but it makes clear that Garber has been working toward this opportunity for years. That suggests a deliberate effort by the league to align its marketing, visibility and commercial ambitions with the rising profile of soccer in the American sports landscape.
This report is based on a monitored public feed and reflects the details available in that feed summary from the New York Times Business. No additional information was provided in the feed beyond Garber’s long-running preparation and the league’s aim to capitalize on World Cup fever.
Source: New York Times Business - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/business/dealbook/mls-don-garber-world-cup.html
