Could Harry Kane eventually finish his career in Major League Soccer? If MLS commissioner Don Garber gets his wish, the Bayern Munich striker will eventually make the move across the Atlantic.
Kane has previously indicated that he could be open to playing in MLS at some point in his career, and Garber believes that possibility represents exactly what the league has been trying to accomplish for decades.
“I’d love for him to do that. I think, for me, it is the fulfilment of the dream that we had to build
a proper soccer league that would drive a soccer nation. That sounds colloquial but actually we have that written down,“ Garber told the Press Association (as captured by The Irish News). “We wanted to create something that would have the Harry Kanes of the world say ‘I’d kind of like to play in MLS’. And I think Messi proved that. That was a competitive process, working to ensure that we had a dynamic that would be better than going back to Barca, working a dynamic that would not have him want to play in Saudi Arabia.
“Play in Miami, have them be able to build a new stadium and have him set records and be an MVP, and then have an unbelievable goodbye (this week) from his international career.”
Garber’s comments come as he prepares to step down as MLS commissioner at the end of the year, with the league’s growth having been closely tied to the arrival of global stars.
David Beckham’s move to the LA Galaxy in 2007 helped put MLS on the global sporting map, while Beckham later played a key role in bringing Lionel Messi to Inter Miami in 2023. Garber does not believe one player deserves more credit than the other.
“I don’t think I would say one is more important than the other,” Garber said of the star duo’s impact. “David put this league on the path to credibility and respect. In the prime of his career, he came to LA. He came into Major League Soccer and showed the world that this league can be competitive, it could be respected, it could be fun, it could have great players. It attracted (Thierry) Henry and many, many other players right after that, so without David there’s probably no Major League Soccer.
“That being said, Major League Soccer would not be the global phenomenon and not be sort of on the hearts and minds of just about anybody in the world without Leo Messi.”
For Kane, a future move to MLS would seemingly fit into the same blueprint. The Bayern Munich star has already accomplished virtually everything imaginable at the individual level, and a move to the United States later in his career could provide another challenge while helping continue the league’s push for global relevance.
Garber, meanwhile, believes MLS still has plenty of work to do.
“We just went from a country road, now we’re getting onto the highway,” Garber said. “And we’ve got to get better. We have to have a league that is more competitive, that has an ability to get into the Club World Cup and win games. Miami won one. Not just be there but have people think that an MLS team can compete against other clubs in the world.”
Kane may not be heading to MLS anytime soon, but Garber clearly likes the idea. If the league continues following the path established by Beckham and accelerated by Messi, perhaps the Bayern Munich star will eventually become the next superstar to decide that the United States is the place to write the final chapter of his career.
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