MLS Commissioner Don Garber has been named the winner of the 2022 Werner Fricker Builder Award by U.S. Soccer, the federation announced Friday.
First awarded in 2002, the Werner Fricker Builder Award is given to an individual or group of individuals who dedicate at least 20 years of service to the sport, working to establish a lasting legacy in the history and structure of soccer in the United States. The award is named after former U.S. Soccer president Werner Fricker, who served in the role from 1984 to 1990 and was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1992.
“We’re immensely proud to add Don Garber to this distinguished list of contributors to the game in our country,” U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said in a release. “When the history of the unprecedented growth of our sport in the United States during the past two decades is written, Don will be among the giants whose profound impact forever changed its trajectory. He deserves our admiration and our gratitude."
Garber's tenure as MLS Commissioner has spanned 23 years, overseeing the league's rapid growth across the national and global soccer landscape. Under Garber's watch, MLS has expanded from 10 to 29 clubs. The league's currently in its 27th season, with St. Louis CITY SC joining as an expansion side in 2023 and Las Vegas among candidates for team No. 30.
Garber has led efforts to develop 26 soccer-specific stadiums in the United States and Canada, with more set to open in the next few years. MLS has added new, diverse owners and secured long-term agreements with major broadcast outlets worldwide. The owners have invested more than $8 billion in stadiums and training facilities, and MLS also has nearly 10,000 full-time people working for the league and its clubs, including many former players.
In 2006, Garber established the Designated Player Rule, which revolutionized the way player transactions occurred in MLS by allowing teams to sign up to three players whose total costs exceeded the salary budget cap. Garber also mandated all MLS clubs have youth academies, leading to a significant rise in the level of domestic talent in the past 15 years.
Within the last two years, under Garber's leadership, the league established MLS NEXT and MLS NEXT Pro to create an integrated player pathway from the youth ranks through MLS first teams.
Prior to joining MLS, Garber spent 16 years in a variety of leadership positions at the National Football League.
