Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe withdraws from race to become MLS chief — Leeds Live 18/7/26

Paraag Marathe was in the running to become the head figure of America's top football league

Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter

Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe has ruled himself out of the running of becoming the commissioner of Major League Soccer (MLS), the USA’s top football tier.

The 49ers Enterprises chief was one of three contenders to take over from long-time MLS supremo Don Garber, who has been in the role since 1999, in mid-2027. However, Leeds Live understands that Marathe has withdrawn his name from the process.

The MLS commissioner essentially acts as a CEO of the league, hired by the Board of Governors. The competition is known as a single entity, whereby all teams are owned by the league and then sold to investors. Technically, all manager and player contracts are signed with the MLS.

Commissioner responsibilities include overseeing the MLS’s expansion, securing media and corporate deals and setting regulations, as well as managing relationships with FIFA and CONCACAF. The individual is the public face of the league.

It is understood that Marathe informed peers of his withdrawal from the race on Friday. Reports in the US state this leaves Los Angeles FC co-owner Larry Berg and US sports network guru David Nathanson as the remaining candidates.

As well as being the chairman of Leeds, Marathe is also on the board of Scottish giants Rangers following the 49ers’ involvement in the consortium that took ownership of the club in June 2025.

Marathe initially joined as vice-president before stepping down from that position in March after talking with UEFA over multi-club ownership [MCO] rules.

At the time, Leeds had a small chance of qualifying for European competition via the FA Cup, which could have sparked a conflict of interest within Europa League rules, potentially forcing either Leeds or Rangers to be kicked out of the competition.

Marathe told reporters last month that he still had the “same involvement” at Rangers despite his relinquishing of the vice-president title, adding: “[I am] very, very involved. I’m very interested, I’m very passionate about it.

“There were the MCO rules, things that sort of prevented official board status for the moment, and that could change back too. But very much still involved the same.”