MLS chief says Harry Kane would fulfil the league’s long-held dream

Garber sees Kane’s interest as a sign of MLS’s growth

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber says the prospect of Harry Kane playing in the United States one day represents a long-held ambition for the competition: becoming a league that elite players actively want to join.

“I would love for him to do that,” Garber said of the England captain’s recent suggestion that he could play in MLS later in his career. “It is the fulfilment of the dream that we had to build a proper soccer league that would drive a soccer nation.”

Kane is reportedly close to agreeing a contract extension with Bayern Munich that would keep him at the German club until 2029. The striker has also spoken about his interest in trying his hand as an NFL kicker, another possible draw of a future move to the United States. His comments about MLS, Garber said, reflect how far the league has come.

Harry Kane, whose stated interest in playing in MLS was welcomed by commissioner Don Garber

Beckham and Messi shaped the league’s profile

Garber pointed to Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami in 2023 as evidence that a global star can choose MLS over other destinations. Messi’s arrival, he said, followed a competitive effort to make Miami an appealing option, including plans for a new stadium and the chance for the forward to set records in the league.

But Garber said David Beckham’s decision to join the LA Galaxy in 2007 was foundational. Beckham’s move, made during his prime, helped establish MLS as a credible competition and encouraged other prominent players, including Thierry Henry, to follow.

“David put this league on the path to credibility and respect,” Garber said. “Without David, there’s probably no Major League Soccer.” He added that Beckham and Messi had different, complementary impacts: Beckham helped the league earn respect, while Messi made it a global phenomenon.

Garber said the league’s ambition was to reach a point where players such as Kane would say, “I’d kind of like to play in MLS.” He described that possibility as a measure of the competition’s growing standing rather than a confirmed transfer plan.