MLS to include 24 teams by 2020 season, says Commissioner Don Garber

Major League Soccer is in for a major transformation if Commissioner Don Garber is to be believed.

He announced at halftime, during the broadcast of Wednesday night’s AT&T All-Star Game at Sporting Park, that plans are in place to add another four teams by the 2020 season. Commissioner announced that the league had previously had a vision of 20-team structure for the foreseeable future.

Since the beginning of 2005 season MLS has added 10 clubs, and the recent addition of New York City FC who will start their campaign in 2015 will make the league 20-team strong.

Garber, in a league press release, said: “These expansion clubs have brought new ideas that have contributed to our strategy for growing the league and the addition of new markets has expanded our geographic reach while increasing our fan base.”

It is understood that Wednesday’s news gives hope to several teams looking to break into the league, such as Orlando, Miami, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Detroit and Sacramento, several of whom had representatives presenting to the MLS Board of Governors here on Wednesday afternoon.

“The strength, passion and vision of the MLS ownership group is the foundation behind the success of our league,” Garber continued. “We look forward to adding new partners with the same commitment to the sport and love of the game.

“As MLS enters a period of accelerated growth, the addition of new teams will allow us to expand our geographic coverage, grow our fan base and help us achieve our vision of being among the best leagues in the world by 2022.”

If Garber’s announcement comes true, then with 24 teams, MLS will be the largest top-level professional football league in the world.