Last year, LAFC forward Denis Bouanga won the Golden Boot with 20 goals. He also had seven assists, giving the Gabon international the third Black & Gold player to receive the award in the last five years, following Diego Rossi in 2020 and Carlos Vela in 2019.
This is Lionel Messi’s first full season in MLS, and he’s exciting the league with his talent, breaking records at every turn.In a 6-1 rout of the New York Red Bulls in early May, Messi set new MLS records for most goal contributions in a game with six and most assists in a game with five.
Right with him at the top of the standings is his Inter Miami teammate and close friend Luis Suarez, who has reaped the most benefits from Messi’s creative genius.
While Messi is widely recognised as the best player in the game’s history, the gruelling US domestic season promises various hurdles, leaving the outcome wide open for any challenger to seize.
MLS top goal scorer 2024: Updated rankings
The Sporting News will be updating the table below during every matchday of the 2024 MLS season through to the final matches.
Updated on May 4, 2024
Rank | Player | Club | Goals (PKs) | Assists | Games | Minutes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | 10 (1) | 12 | 8 | 675 |
Luis Suarez | Inter Miami | 10 (0) | 5 | 11 | 737 | |
3. | Cristian Arango | Real Salt Lake | 9 (1) | 7 | 11 | 985 |
4. | Christian Benteke | D.C. United | 8 (0) | 1 | 9 | 809 |
Lewis Morgan | NY Red Bulls | 7 (1) | 2 | 11 | 861 | |
6. | Dejan Joveljic | LA Galaxy | 6 (0) | 2 | 9 | 688 |
Denis Bouanga | LAFC | 6 (3) | 2 | 11 | 990 | |
8. | Brian White | Vancouver | 5 (0) | 2 | 9 | 767 |
Giorgos Giakoumakis | Atlanta United | 5 (1) | 1 | 7 | 509 | |
Daniel Gazdag | Philadelphia | 5 (1) | 1 | 8 | 589 | |
Prince Owusu | Toronto | 5 (0) | 0 | 10 | 574 | |
Luciano Acosta | FC Cincinnati | 5 (0) | 5 | 11 | 916 | |
Sam Surridge | Nashville SC | 5 (0) | 0 | 8 | 619 |
Past MLS Golden Boot Winners
Prior to 2005, Major League Soccer used a point system to award its Scoring Champion, but since 2005 they have awarded a more traditional Golden Boot for the league’s top scorer.
Year | Player | Team | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | Denis Bouanga | LAFC | 20 |
2022 | Hany Mukhtar | Nashville SC | 23 |
2021 | Valentin Castellanos | NYCFC | 19 |
2020* | Diego Rossi | LAFC | 14 |
2019 | Carlos Vela | LAFC | 34 |
2018 | Josef Martinez | Atlanta United | 31 |
2017 | Nemanja Nikolic | Chicago Fire | 24 |
2016 | Bradley Wright-Phillips | NY Red Bulls | 24 |
2015 | Sebastian Giovinco | Toronto FC | 22 |
2014 | Bradley Wright-Phillips | NY Red Bulls | 27 |
2013 | Camilo Sanvezzo | Vancouver | 22 |
2012 | Chris Wondolowski | SJ Earthquakes | 27 |
2011 | Dwayne De Rosario | D.C. United | 16 |
2010 | Chris Wondolowski | SJ Earthquakes | 18 |
2009 | Jeff Cunningham | FC Dallas | 17 |
2008 | Landon Donovan | LA Galaxy | 20 |
2007 | Luciano Emilio | D.C. United | 20 |
2006 | Jeff Cunningham | Real Salt Lake | 16 |
2005 | Taylor Twellman | NE Revolution | 17 |
*2020 MLS season was shortened to 23 matches due to COVID-19 pandemic