| NEW YORK, NEW YORK (October 5, 2025) – MLS NEXT Pro announced today following the conclusion of the 2025 regular season that Chicago Fire FC II’s Jason Shokalook has won the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot Award after leading the League with 20 goals, and New England Revolution II’s Marcos Dias is the inaugural winner of the MLS NEXT Pro Playmaker of the Year Award, after contributing the most assists (13) this year. Shokalook and Dias recorded two goals and two assists, respectively, on Sunday’s Decision Day to seal their award wins.
Shokalook’s offensive production this season helped Chicago Fire FC II clinch its third consecutive playoff berth, finishing the regular season as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference (48 points, 12-9-7), while Dias helped orchestrate New England Revolution II’s finish as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference (54 points, 14-7-7).
Twenty-three year-old forward Shokalook started 17 of his 22 appearances in 2025. He finished the campaign ahead of fellow contenders, outscoring North Texas SC’s Sam Sarver (19 goals), Tacoma Defiance’s Yu Tsukanome (18 goals), and St Louis CITY2’s Mykhi Joyner (15 goals). Shokalook is the second consecutive Golden Boot winner for Chicago Fire FC II, with David Poreba winning the award with an 18-goal haul in 2024. Poreba would also be crowned the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro MVP presented by adidas for his standout season.
An Erie, Pennsylvania native, Shokalook was selected by the Chicago Fire with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft from University of Akron. He spent the 2024 season with Chicago Fire FC II, contributing two goals and two assists in 23 games played. He finished the 2025 regular season with 20 goals and four assists.
Dias set a new MLS NEXT Pro single-season record with 13 assists, surpassing the previous record of 10 (7 players). Dias created crucial goalscoring chances for New England Revolution II forwards such as Liam Butts (13 goals) and was the conductor organizing a high-powered offense that saw his team finish with the third-best goal differential in the Eastern Conference (+17).
A Brazilian national, Dias started 26 of his 28 appearances for New England in the 2025 campaign, while also scoring 10 goals. Dias’ assist tally surpassed his peers, Chicago Fire FC II’s Claudio Cassano, Chattanooga FC’s Tate Robertson, and New York Red Bulls II’s Rafael Mosquera, who each registered 10 assists this year. The 2025 season was a breakthrough year for Dias as he achieved his career-best goal contributions tally to date (10 goals, 13 assists), surpassing previous seasons (nine goals, five assists – 2024; eight goals, two assists – 2023). Dias has also become Revolution II’s all-time leading scorer since joining the club in 2022 from Vasco de Gama.
Both winners’ clubs will learn their opponents for the opening round of the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs this week, as the League’s Pick-Your-Opponent playoff format returns for the third consecutive season after its initial debut in 2023. As the No. 3 seed, New England Revolution II will have the ability to select its opponent, the options for which include Dias’ No. 6 Chicago Fire FC II. The complete schedule and matchups for the first round of the Playoffs are expected to be announced Thursday, October 9. The Conference Quarterfinals will then be held the weekend of October 17-19.
All 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Playoff matches and MLS NEXT Pro Cup (November 7-9) will air live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Previous Golden Boot Award Winners
2024: David Poreba, Chicago Fire FC II (18 goals)
2023: Jack Lynn, Orlando City B; Rémi Cabral, Colorado Rapids 2; MD Myers, New York City FC II (19 goals)
2022: Jacen Russell-Rowe, Columbus Crew 2 (21 goals) |
