Talk of a potential North American superleague combining MLS with Liga MX has been around for a few years now. It's something fun to think about even if it's never gotten past the point of rumors and fantasy.
Asked about such talk by ESPN host Taylor Twellman on an interview released on Thursday, MLS commissioner Don Garber confirmed any merger, if it does happen, is still a long way off, with plenty of obstacles to it taking place.
Still, the commissioner stressed he feels MLS has a positive relationship with Liga MX and he's been pleased with how the leagues have worked together to try and elevate Concacaf on the world stage, as well as the competitions they've fostered like Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup that pit teams from the leagues against each other.
"What I would say is you've got to start with a small step: That small step, really, is Leagues Cup," Garber told Twellman. "We've been very excited about that, the Campeones Cup has been a valuable property for us, it's had good television ratings, a lot of fan support certainly when it was played in Atlanta last year. So we have a close partnership with Liga MX and I think we and they are working hard to try and create prominence and elevate the importance of Concacaf on the global stage. That's why we've been so supportive of Champions League.
"Could there ever be a moment where the leagues come together in a more formal way than just playing with interleague play? Perhaps. But it's a long way away, we've got a lot of work that would need to be done to figure that out. We've got a labor union and a CBA, they don't, we have salary caps, they don't, we have an entirely different structure to how we go about managing our business.
"The challenges and obstacles are many. But the opportunity is great. So like everything with us we'll do the work and figure out if it can be possible at some point way in the future."
