The 2024 MLS season is in full swing, and with that comes the opportunity for players to win the Golden Boot award come the end of the season.
The individual award is handed to the player who has scored the most goals in the league throughout the year, with assists as the tiebreaker should two players finish level at the top of the standings.
Last year saw LAFC forward Denis Bouanga win the Golden Boot after scoring 20 goals. He also contributed seven assists, making the Gabon international the third Black & Gold player to win the honor in the past five years, after Diego Rossi in 2020 and Carlos Vela in 2019.
This season is Lionel Messi's first full season in MLS, and he is electrifying the league with his brilliance, with records falling at every turn. In the 6-1 thrashing of the New York Red Bulls in early May, Messi set new MLS marks for most goal contributions in a game with six, and most assists in a game with five.
Right alongside him at the top of the standings is his Inter Miami teammate and close friend Luis Suarez, who has been the biggest beneficiary of Messi's creative magic.
While Messi is often regarded as the greatest player in the history of the game, the demanding United States domestic season promises numerous challenges, leaving the outcome wide open for any contender to seize.
MORE: Who will win the MLS Golden Boot? Preseason odds, predictions and more
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 October 2, 2024
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals (PKs) | Assists | Games | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Christian Benteke | D.C. United | 23 (3) | 7 | 29 | 2510 |
| 2. | Denis Bouanga | LAFC | 19 (7) | 11 | 31 | 2667 |
| = | Cucho Hernandez | Columbus | 19 (2) | 13 | 26 | 2057 |
| 4. | Luis Suarez | Inter Miami | 18 (0) | 7 | 26 | 1831 |
| 5. | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | 17 (1) | 15 | 18 | 1453 |
| = | Cristian Arango | Real Salt Lake | 17 (2) | 12 | 29 | 2171 |
| = | Daniel Gazdag | Philadelphia | 17 (4) | 3 | 29 | 2487 |
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
