GOAL looks at the frontrunners for the 2025 MLS MVP, including reigning award winner Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi’s stellar 2024 season earned him the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award – his first regular season honor in the league. Now, he’s aiming to become just the second player to win it twice, the first being Preki, and the first to do so in back-to-back seasons.
But several strong challengers are in the mix.
Evander and Diego Rossi had brilliant starts to the campaign, but a few slow weeks have seen others leapfrog them in the race for candidacy.
Nashville SC forward Sam Surridge, San Diego FC breakout star Anders Dreyer, and LAFC's Denis Bouanga are all coming off brilliant stretches of form in May and early June and are emerging as some of Messi's biggest threats en route to the trophy. One individual, Philadelphia's Tai Baribo, has been there the entire way, though. The Israel international has been one of the league's top performers from Matchday 1 through 18 this season when featuring for the Union, and as things stand, might be the lone individual in front of the Inter Miami star just over halfway through the season.
How does each one rank, though, and who else is still in contention? GOAL presents the latest edition of MLS MVP Rankings.
Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images Sport1Tai Baribo, Philadelphia Union
The Israel international has emerged onto the scene in 2025 in the most unexpected way possible. Before the halfway mark of the campaign, he surpassed his goal tally from 2024, and he's single-handedly spearheaded the Philadelphia Union's charge to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
With 13 goals and 1 assist in 16 appearances – 13 of which have been starts – he has been dominant in the final third and is taking MLS by storm as the league leader in scoring as a result.
At Philly, he's found immense success inside the box, out-performing his xG of 9.67 while having a .42 percent conversion rate in front of the net. He's been one of the league's most clinical players, scoring on 13 of his 17 on-target attempts this season as well.
More than a goalscorer, he's also played nine key passes resulting in an attacking opportunity, one of which earned him an assist. He has been an unexpected yet welcome addition to the league's elite attackers this season.
AdvertisementGetty Images2Lionel Messi, Inter Miami
The Argentine, after a slow start to the campaign, has really turned it on in recent weeks. Just in the month of May, he scored seven goals, helping lead Miami back up to third in the Eastern Conference after a rough patch of form towards the end of April.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is now up to 10 goals and six assists, totaling 16 goal contributions in just 13 appearances in MLS action this season. He's out-performed his xG of 7.54, and has established a shot conversion rate of .15 percent, with 30 attempts on target this season. In just 1,115 minutes, he's climbed towards the top of the league in goals and assists, despite playing in fewer matches than most due to a mix of international duty and injury.
He trails only Bouanga (78) in total shot attempts this season with 68 himself, while he is second in the league with shots on target, trailing only Hany Mukhtar of Nashville SC (38).
The Argentine put his foot on the gas pedal in May, and is now back towards the top of contention to win the prestigious award as he looks to make MLS history.
Getty Images Sport3Denis Bouanga, LAFC
The heart and soul of LAFC, Bouanga has been one of MLS' best players since his 2022 arrival within the league. Across the start of the 2025 season, he's scored eight goals and recorded five assists in 15 appearances – 14 of which were starts.
Across all competitions, LAFC are unbeaten in their last 10 matches, and he's been a crucial reason as to why. During the successful stretch of matches, the 30-year-old has recorded a goal contribution in all but one game, including two game-winners in MLS action. The Gabon international also scored the game-winning goal to clinch their berth in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in a 2-1 extra-time victory over Club America, and is riding an immense wave of confidence heading into the marquee summer compeition.
An MVP candidate in both 2023 and 2024, 2025 could finally be the year where he makes a legitimate case to be considered for the prestigious award. After a rocky start to the season for both him and the , he's turned things around, and is spearheading their charge towards the top of the Western Conference standings.
4Anders Dreyer, San Diego FC
The San Diego FC forward is the frontrunner for Newcomer of the Year, but who is to say he shouldn't be in MVP candidacy as well? He's up to 14 goal contributions this season, with six goals and eight assists, which puts him tied atop the league for the moment.
He's helped the expansion side to second place in the Western Conference heading into Matchday 19 of the campaign, and has arguably been the best addition to the league this season. He's coming off an international break where he represented Denmark, and in a 5-0 victory over Lithuania, he scored and assisted for his nation.
For SDFC, he's been one of the most important players on the field for them this season, and leads them in both goals and assists.
With his sublime left foot, he's been a menace to defenders all season long, and doesn't look to be stopping as he looks to lead the expansion side to a top-four finish in the Western Conference come the end of the campaign.