MLS commissioner urges Kane to follow Beckham's path before pursuing NFL kicker dream

MLS commissioner Don Garber has publicly urged Harry Kane to join Major League Soccer as a stepping stone toward his stated ambition of becoming an NFL kicker, calling the prospect “the fulfilment of the dream” the league has spent decades building toward.

Kane, 33, revealed last month that he has a clear career roadmap: sign a new deal with Bayern Munich, then move to the United States — first to MLS, then to try his hand as an NFL kicker. Garber wasted little time in welcoming that plan, telling reporters he would “love” to see the England captain arrive in the league.

“We wanted to create something that would have the Harry Kanes of the world say, I’d kind of like to play in MLS,” Garber said. “And I think Messi proved that, too. That was a competitive process — working to ensure that we had a dynamic that would be better than going back to Barcelona.”

Kane’s next Bayern contract is expected to run until 2029, meaning any MLS move remains several years away. When it does materialise, he would have no shortage of suitors. Notably, seven MLS club owners also have stakes in NFL franchises, raising the possibility of a formal crossover arrangement that could smooth Kane’s path from one sport to the other.

Garber, who has served as MLS commissioner since 1999, drew a direct line between Kane’s potential arrival and the legacy of David Beckham, whose 2007 move to LA Galaxy he credits as the moment the league gained genuine credibility on the world stage.

“Without David, there’s probably no Major League Soccer,” Garber said. “He put this league on the path to credibility and respect. In the prime of his career, he came here to LA. He showed the world that this league can be competitive, it could be respected, it could have great players. It attracted Thierry Henry and many, many other players right after that.”

Asked to compare Beckham’s impact with that of Lionel Messi, who joined Inter Miami in 2023, Garber declined to rank them. “I don’t think I would say one is more important than the other,” he said. “David put this league on the path to credibility. Messi made it a global phenomenon.”

Messi, who played his final game for Argentina on Tuesday, continues to perform for Inter Miami. Kane, meanwhile, remains focused on his immediate future at Bayern Munich, where he has been one of the Bundesliga’s most prolific scorers since joining from Tottenham Hotspur in 2023.