Sports
Reports: MLS down to 3 finalists to succeed Don Garber
Mar 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Chicago Fire’s new stadium at The 78 in Chicago’s South Loop Mandatory Credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images Major League Soccer is down to three finalists to succeed commissioner Don Garber, multiple outlets reported Friday.
The candidates are Los Angeles FC co-owner Larry Berg, 49ers Enterprises president Paraag Marathe and David Nathanson, a former Fox executive, the outlets said, citing multiple sources.
“Major League Soccer’s Board of Governors has been engaged in a comprehensive succession planning process,” a representative for MLS said in a statement to Sportico. “As part of that effort, a number of highly qualified individuals have been considered. The MLS succession committee is working with the commissioner and the Board on this ongoing process.”
Garber, 68, is nearing the end of his third decade as commissioner, holding the job since August 1999. Only NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has served longer among the major U.S. leagues, assuming office in February 1993.
Garber is under contract through the end of the 2027 season, but the shift in the league calendar to follow the international calendar could alter the expiration date.
In 2025, the league formed a succession committee, led by LAFC co-owner Bennett Rosenthal and Columbus Crew owner Jimmy Haslam, to determine a plan to succeed Garber. Consultant Korn Ferry was brought in to lead the search for candidates.
Each of the three reported finalists would bring a different skillset to the job.
Berg has held his ownership stake in LAFC since 2018, giving him inside knowledge of the MLS operations. He comes from the world of finance, holding an MBA from Harvard Business School and 30 years of experience at Apollo Global Management.
Marathe is the chairman of Leeds United of the English Premier League, and the investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers owns that club. He has been with the 49ers organization for 25 years and formerly served as president of the NFL team.
Nathanson’s experience in media would be beneficial with in negotiating the next round of television and streaming rights. At Fox, he led the effort as the network gained the rights to the 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cup. He is a minority owner of the Seattle Sounders and a director of the U.S. Soccer Foundation.
The commissioner-elect is expected to work with Garber, who has overseen the expansion of MLS from 12 to 30 teams, during the transition.
–Field Level Media
Sports
World Cup champions to receive rings for first time
July 15, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.; Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates after the match. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Borrowing from an American sporting tradition, the winners of the World Cup will earn an extra prize this year: A championship ring — the first one awarded in World Cup history.
The players from either Argentina or Spain also will receive the traditional gold medals. The championship match is set for 3 p.m. ET Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
FIFA announced the distribution of the “bespoke” rings and said in a statement that the gesture is “bringing one of the most recognisable American sporting traditions to the global game.”
The rings already have been designed to display the World Cup trophy on one side, with the other side to be customized for the winning team. After the final on Sunday, the head coach and captain of the winning team will be given a temporary ring to be replaced after the final ring is designed and created. The rest of the team will be presented with rings at a later date.
Only 2,026 numbered rings will be created, with 30 given to the winning team. The remainder will be sold to the public, with the price not announced.
If Argentina wins Sunday, they will become the first country to capture back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962. Spain have won once, in 2010.
England and France play Saturday to determine the third-place finisher.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rory McIlroy goes aggressive to stay in The Open hunt
Rory McIlroy is 1-under par through 36 holes at The Open Championship. Rory McIlroy was hovering around the projected cut line at The Open Championship on Friday when favorable wind conditions opened the door for a more aggressive strategy.
With the wind behind him for the second consecutive round, McIlroy took out his driver on the 414-yard par-4 ninth hole. It led to a second consecutive birdie that got the world’s No. 2-ranked player back to even par for the day.
McIlroy added a lone birdie on his back nine to card a 3-under-par 67 at Royal Birkdale on Friday that moved him to 1 under for the tournament.
“The main objective today was to be here for the weekend, which I am,” McIlroy said. “I felt like I left a couple out there.”
That was especially true after he looked at the scoreboard and saw the 62s posted by Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns. McIlroy will be chasing at least seven shots when he begins his third round on Saturday. Herbert was atop the leaderboard after the morning wave at 8-under.
McIlroy has been inconsistent on the greens through 36 holes but has remained as aggressive as possible with his driver. The ninth hole was a perfect example, as he never considered trying to drive the green during practice rounds.
“Honestly, the practice rounds I played were in a completely different wind direction. I didn’t even think about it,” McIlroy said. “Then when I got on the tee yesterday and saw the wind, it was like, well, the corner on the right there to cover is like 335 (yards), and downwind it’s like, as long as I just strike it well, that should be fine.
“I’ve driven the ball so well the last two days. I think anytime I can get a driver in my hand, I’m going to try to.”
To put himself in contention on Sunday, the Northern Irishman needs to post an excellent score early and then hope the pack comes back to him a bit. In addition to the rounds posted by Herbert and Burns, Royal Birkdale yielded a 64 to Eric Cole during Friday’s morning wave, which also saw five players post 4-under 66s.
Like McIlroy, Cameron Young shot a 3-under 67 that put him at 6 under for the tournament and two shots back of Herbert.
“There’s a couple of guys up there, this will be sort of their first experience of playing in the lead at a major championship on the weekend,” McIlroy said. “There’s obviously some that are very experienced at it like Cam and like Sam as well.
“I think if I can get off to a decent start tomorrow, be 4- or 5-under for the tournament, I’ll be right in it.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Titans to induct Chris Johnson into Ring of Honor
Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson (28) pulls away from Jacksonville Jaguars defense for a 52 yard touchdown run in the third quarter at LP Field on Nov. 1, 2009. The Titans defeated the Jaguars 30-13 for their first win of the season. The Tennessee Titans will induct former All-Pro running back Chris Johnson into the team’s Ring of Honor.
The ceremony is planned for halftime of the Titans’ 2026 season opener on Sept. 13. The Titans will host the New York Jets, for whom Johnson played one season.
The Titans selected Johnson with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. During his six-season, 95-game tenure in Nashville, Johnson gained 7,965 rushing yards and scored 58 touchdowns.
He was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-Pro in 2009, when he ran for 2,006 yards and set an NFL single-season record with his 2,509 yards from scrimmage. That record continues to stand despite the NFL expanding its schedule to 17 games.
“Chris Johnson holds a special place in the hearts of our organization and our fans,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said in a statement. “His stats speak for themselves, and he will forever remain a leader in our record books, but the man behind the yardage deserves just as much celebration. We look forward to welcoming him home on Sept. 13 and officially inducting him into the Titans Ring of Honor.”
He rushed for 9,651 yards and 55 touchdowns in 130 career games with the Titans (2008-13), Jets (2014) and Arizona Cardinals (2015-17). He rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of his six seasons in a Titans uniform.
In an interview aired June 29 on “Good Morning America,” Johnson told co-anchor Michael Strahan that he was diagnosed with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2025. There is currently no cure.
“There’s no history of ALS in my family,” said Johnson, who was using a speech-generating device based on recordings of his voice to speak. “My doctors believe my case is what’s called sporadic ALS, which is actually how the vast majority of ALS cases happen.
“… That’s one of the reasons this disease can be so shocking. It can happen to someone who never expected it.”
Johnson, 40, will become the 20th inductee into Tennessee’s Ring of Honor, with the late Dave McGinnis, a former assistant coach and radio analyst, to be added later in the season.
The group includes players from the Titans’ history as the Houston Oilers. Among those already in the Ring of Honor are quarterbacks George Blanda, Warren Moon and Steve McNair, as well as running backs Earl Campbell and Eddie George.
–Field Level Media
World Cup champions to receive rings for first time
Rory McIlroy goes aggressive to stay in The Open hunt
