Harry Kane Dreams of MLS, and Don Garber Doesn't Hesitate to Open the Door

The fact that England's captain is dreaming out loud about playing in the United States is news in itself. The fact that the MLS commissioner responds with an ear-to-ear grin and talks about "dreams coming true" is something else entirely. That's exactly what happened this week, when Harry Kane admitted he'd someday like to try his luck in the American league, and Don Garber wasted no time flinging the door wide open.

The timing could hardly have been more striking. Kane, 33, is in the middle of a monster season: he's racked up 73 goals for club and country, lifted the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich and picked up a World Cup bronze medal along the way. As if that weren't enough, the striker matched the record of 125 appearances for England and reached 91 international goals in a 3-0 rout of Czechia in Nations League play, capping off a four-game window in which he scored six times.

It was in the middle of that run, while even musing about his quirky fantasy of becoming an NFL kicker, that Kane let it slip that MLS appeals to him down the road. That's when Garber stepped in, holding nothing back.

I would love for him to do that. For me it would be the fulfillment of the dream we had of building a real soccer league, one capable of driving a soccer nation forward. We wanted to create something that would make the Harry Kanes of the world say, "I'd like to play in MLS." And I think Messi proved that's possible.Don Garber

The commissioner went further, sharing some of the behind-the-scenes maneuvering behind Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami in 2023, which he described as "a competitive process" designed to make MLS more appealing than a return to Barcelona or a move to Saudi Arabia. The result, according to Garber, speaks for itself: Messi ended up breaking records, was named MVP and bid farewell to his national team to a standing ovation.

From Beckham to Messi, the two pillars

Garber, who will step down as commissioner to become league president at the end of the year after holding the post since 1999, refused to choose between the two names that have defined the league's recent history: David Beckham and Messi.

David put this league on the path to credibility and respect. In the prime of his career, he came to Los Angeles and showed the world that Major League Soccer could be competitive, respected, entertaining and home to great players. That later drew in Thierry Henry and many others. Without David, Major League Soccer probably wouldn't exist as we know it today. That said, the league wouldn't be the global phenomenon it is today, nor would it be in the hearts of so many people around the world, without Leo Messi.Don Garber

Beckham arrived at LA Galaxy and became the catalyst for a growth curve that, decades later, accelerated even further when, by then part of Inter Miami's ownership group, he helped bring in Messi.

Garber, 68, takes pride in the path traveled by a league born out of the organization of the 1994 World Cup and that today, he says, represents "the biggest commercial market on the planet for this sport." Even so, he isn't satisfied.

We went from being a dirt road to getting onto the highway. And we have to keep improving. We need a more competitive league, one capable of making it into the Club World Cup and winning matches. Miami won one. It's not just about being there, it's about people believing that an MLS team can compete against any club in the world.Don Garber

With Messi already settled in Miami and Kane publicly flirting with the idea, MLS appears determined to keep adding marquee names that push forward the dream Beckham helped keep alive.