MLS Player of the Month

NEW YORK (Friday, October 3, 2025) – LAFC forward Denis Bouanga was voted the MLS Player of the Month for the month of September 2025.

Bouanga was sensational for LAFC, scoring eight goals in the month of September, which led MLS and his nine goal contributions saw him tied with Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi and LAFC teammate, Son Heung-Min for the most in the league. The Gabonese forward scored in all four of LAFC’s games during the month, which included two hat tricks at the San Jose Earthquakes (Sept. 13) and vs. Real Salt Lake (Sept. 21). By doing so, he became the eighth different player in league history to record two hat tricks in a three-game span and the first since Columbus’ Cucho Hernández, who accomplished the feat from Sept. 2-20, 2023.

In September, Bouanga reached 23 goals in the 2025 MLS regular season and became the first player in MLS history to score at least 20 goals in three consecutive seasons and just the second player in league annals to score at least 20 goals in three different seasons, joining Bradley Wright-Phillips (2014, 2016, 2018). Bouanga’s 23 goals this season are one behind Lionel Messi (24) atop the Golden Boot presented by Audi leaderboard as he aims to become the sixth player in MLS history to win multiple Golden Boot awards and the first since Wright-Phillips (2014 and 2016). The 2025 MLS All-Star has combined with new signing Son Heung-Min to score the last 17 regular season goals for LAFC, an MLS record for the most consecutive goals by a duo.

Bouanga and LAFC also clinched an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs spot in September, marking the fourth-straight season they will compete in the postseason. Since the start of August, LAFC has only suffered one defeat in regular-season action, accumulating a 5-1-2 record.

This is the second time Bouanga has earned the honor in his career after previously winning the award for his performance in the month of October 2023. Bouanga joins Carlos Vela (three times in 2019) as the only players in LAFC history to earn multiple MLS Player of the Month honors.

Bouanga and LAFC will host Atlanta United this weekend on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire (9 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / Apple TV+). As part of that match, MLS, TikTok, and MLS Season Pass on Apple TV announced yesterday ‘Player Spotlight: LAFC’, a live stream bringing fans an exclusive LAFC viewing experience on TikTok LIVE that puts the spotlight on stars like Bouanga. Fans around the world can tune in to the TikTok LIVE on the @MLS TikTok account, with simultaneous streams on  @LAFC and @AppleTV, as well as on Bouanga’s (@d.bouanga) TikTok account, marking the first time a "Player Spotlight" LIVE has been broadcast from a featured player's own TikTok account.

MLS Player of the Month is voted upon by a panel of select national media members in a process conducted by MLS Communications.