MLS Commissioner Don Garber said every game Inter Miami's Lionel Messi has played as part of the league has been "almost like the Super Bowl, with the celebrity presence and the global media presence,” according to Lindsay Schnell of USA TODAY. Garber said that he has "never been hit up for free ticket requests more than he was in 2023,” adding how often he had to explain to friends and family that “we are not in the business of comping tickets, we’re in the business of selling tickets.” As the Saudi Pro League is spending excessively for top talent, Garber said, “Any emerging league needs to make whatever decisions make sense for them to try to be part of the global conversation, and that’s what the Saudis have done.” Garber: “I’ve seen it so many times before, and in some of those cases it’s worked. In the in the case of China and the Chinese league, it hasn’t worked. Time will be the judge of if (the Saudis’) plan was effective or not. It speaks to the challenger leagues making an important statement that it’s not just about the big leagues in Europe, it’s about the rest of the world, and we’re part of the rest of the world.” Garber’s contract is up at the end of the 2023 season but he is “not looking for a new position.” Garber: "I’m sure the MLS Board will sit down with me and discuss what our future might be together. I think I’ve got an unbelievable job” (USA TODAY, 12/8). Garber said that the state of the league is "so good,” that he expects “no major initiatives will be adopted for the coming season.” In L.A., Kevin Baxter wrote no news is “big news for a league whose only constant has been change through its first 28 seasons.” Garber: “It was the most successful season in our history” (L.A. TIMES, 12/8).
MESSI TRANSACTIONS: Garber said, “The eyes of the world are now on Major League Soccer because the best player to ever play the game is here.” In D.C., Steven Goff wrote the league's current task regarding Messi is “deciding where he will visit in 2024.” Garber said that the league will “not choose Miami’s nonconference away destinations based solely on market size and potential ticket sales.” Garber: “We don’t think that’s fair.” The league will create a formula to “ensure Messi appears in most, if not all, markets by 2025” (WASHINGTON POST, 12/8).
