COLUMBUS — Lionel Messi’s arrival to MLS this past summer opened debate on whether or not the league would potentially consider allowing clubs to have a fourth Designated Player spot for 2024 and beyond, and while the move has yet to officially get approved or rejected, league commissioner Don Garber does not see it happening.
Garber revealed on Friday afternoon during his State of the League address that MLS would not be adding a fourth Designated Player despite rumblings that it would be considered. The 66-year-old admitted the league would be announcing several “exciting things” at next week’s Board Meeting, but a fourth DP would not be among the topics considered for approval.
“There are no plans to add a fourth DP,” Garber said at Lower.com Field. “There will be announcements coming out of our board meeting which is next week, and we’ll have press availability after that with a number of exciting things that we’re doing that our folks are focused on.
“There will be some exciting things that we’re going to announce next week,” he added. “All of that needs to go to the group of owners and inform them and have that approved. But there are no plans for a fourth DP.”
Expansion is always a hot topic at each season’s State of the League address with St. Louis and Austin FC in recent years joining MLS. However, outside of San Diego’s arrival in 2025, Garber does not see the league exceeding its future 30-club plan unless it makes sense for the league as a whole.
“On the expansion front, I’ve been doing this a long time, and we never thought the league would be as large as it is today,” Garber said. “There are cities where we are in, where we never thought would be able to have an MLS team, build facilities, build the pyramid and attract the kind of fan base that we have in local markets. San Diego is a good example of that. You might remember many, many years ago the league, it was before my time at an All-Star Game in San Diego, I don’t think that was the high moment in MLS history.
“Here we are in a market that couldn’t be more excited about MLS,” he added. “We have no plans to go beyond 30 teams at this point. I will say we never say never to anything. We’ve got to look at how all this develops over the next number of years. If expansion makes sense at the right time, if there’s a market with a facility and the opportunity for us to manage the competitive format and everything related to that, then we’ll certainly consider it.
2023 was a hectic year for many of MLS’ clubs, especially with CONCACAF Champions League and Leagues Cup involvement being paired with league action. Saturday’s MLS Cup will not only mark the final match of the league season but will also be the 53rd match across all competitions for LAFC, extending their single-season record.
Garber hinted that the league might need to make some schedule changes in 2024 to preserve the safety of its players, especially with the Copa America, European Championships, and expanded CONCACAF Champions Cup on the horizon. Participation for MLS clubs in the U.S. Open Cup may also be re-evaluated with hopes that lesser matches could lead to fewer injuries throughout the league.
“I think the biggest challenge of any league around the world is managing schedule,” Garber said. “Unlike every league here in North America, we don’t control that schedule entirely. Our playoffs are an example of that, having an (international window) come through the middle of our playoffs.
“We will adapt and figure out the right way to change, whether that’s roster changes, whether its participation in some tournaments and not others, or whether it’s ways that we can manage the schedule to give those teams that have more scheduled congestion and opportunity to have a bit more time in between games,” he added.
In addition to the topics previously mentioned, Garber also talked about Lionel Messi’s impact in MLS, referee safety, attendance improvement for clubs, and a potential new soccer-specific stadium for the New England Revolution.
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