The 2025 Major League Soccer regular season is in the final sprint, which means the race for the MVP award is almost over.
Before the MLS Cup Playoffs begin, players, technical staff and select media members will vote to crown the latest Landon Donovan MVP.
Lionel Messi is the current holder of the award, which has also been won in the past by the likes of Carlos Vela, David Villa, Robbie Keane and Sebastian Giovinco — not to mention the player it’s named after.
Former Everton midfielder Preki is the only player to win the award twice, while it has never been retained. But, of course, this is the first time the game’s greatest-ever player has attempted to retain it.
So, where does Messi stand in the 2025 MVP race, and who are the main contenders? Here, we rank the top five.
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5. Martin Ojeda
- Club: Orlando City
- Position: Attacking midfield
You’re never safe when Martin Ojeda is around.
The Argentine attacking midfielder is equally capable of putting the ball in the back of the net as he is setting up a teammate, with those two skills combining to land him 25 direct goal involvements so far this season (16 goals, 9 assists*).
Ojeda is super clean technically and isn’t short of flair or skill. The main thing holding him back in the MVP race is simply Orlando City sitting down in seventh in the Eastern Conference, among the dark horses rather than the main contenders. That’s the niche he fills here, too.
Key stat: Martin Ojeda has created 21 big chances so far this season, at least 12 more than any other Orlando City player.
4. Evander
- Club: FC Cincinnati
- Position: Attacking midfield
After a solid debut season, Evander has grown to become arguably the best No.10 in MLS over the past two years. This season, he’s taken his skills to FC Cincinnati, and they’ve benefited no end.
The Brazilian is currently fifth in the Golden Boot race with 17 goals, while he’s second for assists on 13, meaning only two players — who we’ll get to — have registered more direct goal involvements.
Evander is a menace to defences with his passing and vision, while he has the footballing brain to pick up the right spaces for goals of his own.
His form has helped Cincinnati sit second overall as we enter the final couple of weeks, with their Supporters’ Shield hopes still just about alive. That’s simply not possible without Evander.
Key stat: Only two players have more direct goal involvements than Evander (30) in MLS this season.
3. Denis Bouanga
- Club: LAFC
- Position: Winger
Denis Bouanga won the Golden Boot two years ago and has fired LAFC three domestic trophies since signing in 2022, as well as Concacaf Champions League and Leagues Cup finals.
He hasn’t let up this year and is Lionel Messi’s closest challenger in the Golden Boot race with 23 goals, including an incredible nine in his last five appearances — a run that has fuelled his surge up the standings. It’s also served to throw him right back into MVP contention.
LAFC still have four games to go in the regular season, which is more than any other side. If he can use those to further beef up his goals and assists, and fire the Black and Gold top of the West, an MVP award suddenly becomes very realistic. He certainly deserves one.
Key stat: Denis Bouanga has completed more dribbles (88) than any other player in MLS in 2025.
2. Lionel Messi
- Club: Inter Miami
- Position: Winger
The defending MVP is very much a frontrunner to win the award again and become the first-ever player to retain it.
Messi has been a force of nature again, sitting top of the Golden Boot race with 24 goals, while only two players have more assists.
That said, Messi is on a two-game run with no goal involvements, where Miami have drawn 1-1 with Toronto FC and lost 5-3 to the Chicago Fire, effectively ending their Supporters’ Shield hopes.
So while the GOAT is still a major contender, that run has hurt his chances a little, as does the fact that Inter Miami’s side is built around him, with Luis Suarez effectively a wall with which he can play off.
Our main contender hasn’t been allowed such a concession.
Key stat: Lionel Messi tops the MLS Golden Boot standings with 24 goals.
1. Anders Dreyer
- Club: San Diego FC
- Position: Winger
Anders Dreyer has provided a whopping 16 assists so far in 2025, which is five more than Messi and three more than closest rival Evander. He’s also second only to Charlotte FC’s Pep Biel (25) for big chances created (24). All that, and he’s still had time to chip in with 15 goals of his own.
That’s an incredible return for a player in his debut MLS season, and it’s very much fuelled San Diego FC’s own maiden voyage into Major League Soccer.
SDFC are top of the Western Conference with just two games to play and have only really seen their Supporters’ Shield chances fade with a recent run of one win from five.
Nevertheless, they’ve been a brilliant addition to MLS, as has Dreyer, who has been devastatingly efficient and popped up in so many big moments for San Diego that we’ve lost count.
He’s been the most consistent attacking player in the league, pretty much never letting up with his goals and assists regardless of what San Diego do.
Key stat: Anders Dreyer needs just four more goals to tie Josef Martinez’s record for the most goals in a single regular season on an MLS expansion team (19 goals, Atlanta United, 2017).
Honourable mentions: Sam Surridge, Pep Biel, Hany Mukhtar, Kai Wagner, Dejan Joveljic, Petar Musa, Hugo Cuypers, Cristian Espinoza, Carles Gil, Philip Zinckernagel.
*Opta’s definition used for assists.