XG, Etc.in MLS

By Anonymous (not verified), September 25, 2025

For Immediate Release
MLS Communications

Expected Goals: Upcoming Milestones for Matchday 37

Messi Making Multi-Goal History

The greatest player in the history of the game continues to place his stamp all over the MLS record book, as Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi builds his case to be the first defending Landon Donovan MLS MVP to capture the award for a second consecutive season. Messi has scored two goals in each of his last two matches and has scored multiple goals in eight of his last 12 league matches overall, while pacing the Golden Boot presented by Audi race with 23 goals this season.

With a multi-goal game at Toronto FC on Saturday afternoon (4:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / Apple TV+), the Argentine legend would become the first player in league history to record nine multi-goal goals in a single season in MLS history, breaking a tie with Zlatan Ibrahimović (2019), Mamadou Diallo (2000), and Stern John (1998).

The most multi-goal games in a single season in MLS history:

Whitecaps Winning Up and Down the Roster

The Vancouver Whitecaps are authoring one of the strongest seasons in recent MLS history, having advanced to the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup final, the 2025 Canadian Championship final, and maintaining its position in the Supporters’ Shield race. While the signing of Thomas Müller and standout performances from All-Stars Brian White, Tristan Blackmon, Sebastian Berhalter, and Yohei Takaoka have captured the headlines, the Whitecaps are receiving contributions from up and down its roster, as 19 different players have scored goals for the club in MLS play this season.

With a goal from a 20th different scorer against Seattle on Saturday night (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / Apple TV+), the Whitecaps would become just the second team in MLS history to have 20 different goal scorers in a single season, joining St. Louis CITY SC, which accomplished the feat last season. Notable players for Vancouver without a score include midfielders Andrés Cubas, Ali Ahmed, and Ralph Priso, all of whom could contribute to goal-scoring history for the club.

The most different goal scorers on a club in single season in MLS history:

LAFC Streaking Away from Home

Behind the stellar play of Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-Min, LAFC is surging in the Western Conference standings behind a resurgence on the road. After losing three of its first four road games this season, LAFC is unbeaten away from home since April 19, collecting a 4-0-6 record over a span of 10 matches.

With a result at St. Louis CITY SC on Saturday night (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV), LAFC would become only the second team in MLS history to go unbeaten across 11-or-more road matches in regular-season play, joining FC Dallas, which did not lose in 12 consecutive road matches from May 1 to Sept. 25, 2010. That FC Dallas squad finished fourth in the Supporters’ Shield standings before earning the first and only MLS Cup appearance in team history.

The longest regular-season road unbeaten streaks by a club in MLS history:

Musa Moving Up FC Dallas’ Scoring Leaderboard

As FC Dallas aims to hold onto its position in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs race, the club will look to forward Petar Musa to continue his sizzling scoring, having notched at least one goal in three consecutive matches. Musa, who has matched his 2024 goal-scoring total with 16 this season, has the chance to etch his name into the history books for Dallas with just two more goals this season.

With two scores over the club’s final four games of the 2025 season, Musa would match Jason Kreis (18 goals in 1999), Kenny Cooper (18 in 2008), and Jesús Ferreira (18 goals in 2022) for the most goals in a single season in club history. Musa is the only player in team history to have scored at least 16 goals in multiple seasons and is one of only four players to have scored at least 16 goals in both 2024 and 2025, joining Lionel Messi, Denis Bouanga, and Alonso Martínez.

The most goals by a player in a single season in FC Dallas history:

Sensational Scorers Starring Across MLS

As the race for the Golden Boot presented by Audi continues to heat up, highly-skilled scorers are making their marks across Major League Soccer. Led by three 20-goal scorers in Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi (23 goals), LAFC’s Denis Bouanga (22 goals), and Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge (21 goals), 15 different players have scored at least 15 goals this season, tied for the second-most in a single season in league history.

With two players currently at 14 goals, including Seattle’s Danny Musovski and Chicago’s Philip Zinckernagel, and two more scorers at 13 goals entering Matchday 37, the 2025 season has the chance to eclipse the 2024 campaign (16 players with at least 15 goals) for the most 15-goal scorers in a single season in league history.

The most players with at least 15 goals in a single MLS season: