Voting begins today and concludes on Monday, Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. ET
NEW YORK (Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025) – Major League Soccer today opened the voting for its 2025 MLS Year-End Awards, highlighting the accomplishments of the league’s top players on and off the field as well as the achievements of head coaches and referees during the 2025 MLS regular season.
The voting window for the annual postseason awards opened today at 12 p.m. ET and will conclude on Monday, Oct. 20, at 8 p.m. ET. Finalists for each award will be announced on Thursday, Oct. 23.
Winners for the awards listed below will be voted on by members of the media, club technical staff, and active MLS players, with each group accounting for 33.3% of the total vote. Club technical staff and players may not vote for their own team’s players or coaches.
- Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player
- Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year
- MLS Best XI
- MLS Goalkeeper of the Year
- MLS Defender of the Year
- MLS Comeback Player of the Year
- MLS Newcomer of the Year
- MLS Young Player of the Year
- Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award
- MLS Referee of the Year
- MLS Assistant Referee of the Year
Additionally, the Supporters’ Shield and the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi are competitively determined awards won by the club with the most points at the end of the 2025 MLS regular season and the player with the most goals, respectively.
The MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi is awarded to the player with the most goals at the end of the 2025 MLS regular season following the conclusion of all matches on MLS Decision Day, Saturday, Oct. 18. The first tiebreaker is the player with the most assists, followed by the player with the fewest minutes played.
The AT&T MLS Goal of the Year and MLS Save of the Year are determined by an online fan vote on www.MLSsoccer.com. Fan voting for these awards will open on Monday, Oct. 20 and close on Friday, Oct. 24.
For the 2025 Year-End Award process, clubs nominated players for MLS Comeback Player of the Year and the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award. Players eligible for the remaining awards were determined by the below minutes played parameters.
LIST OF 2025 MLS YEAR-END AWARDS
Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player
Description: Most Valuable Player in MLS during the 2025 MLS regular season.
Eligibility: Player must have played at least 1,000 minutes during the 2025 MLS regular season.
Selection Process: Voted on by media members, clubs, and players.
Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year
Description: Top head coach in MLS during the 2025 regular season.
Eligibility: Nominees must be active MLS head coaches or interim head coaches who have coached at least five games during the 2025 MLS regular season.
Selection Process: Voted on by media members, clubs, and players.
MLS Newcomer of the Year
Description: The best newcomer in MLS during the 2025 regular season.
Eligibility: “Newcomer” is defined as a player with previous professional experience who made his MLS debut in 2025. Player must have played at least 500 minutes during the 2025 MLS regular season.
Selection Process: Voted on by media members, clubs, and players.
MLS Defender of the Year
Description: Best defender in MLS during the 2025 regular season.
Eligibility: Player must have played at least 500 minutes during the 2025 MLS regular season.
Selection Process: Voted upon by media members, clubs, and players.
MLS Goalkeeper of the Year
Description: Best goalkeeper in MLS during the 2025 regular season.
Eligibility: Player must have played at least 500 minutes during the 2025 MLS regular season.
Selection Process: Voted on by media members, clubs, and players.
MLS Young Payer of the Year
Description: The best young player in MLS during the 2025 regular season. For this award, any “young player” in MLS who is age 22 or younger during the calendar year is eligible for the award.
Eligibility: Player must have played at least 500 minutes during the 2025 MLS regular season.
- For 2025, only players born on or after Jan.1, 2003, are eligible.
- For 2025, players born on or before Dec. 31, 2002, are ineligible.
Selection Process: Voted on by media members, clubs, and players.
MLS Comeback Player of the Year
Description: Honors an MLS player who has overcome a severe injury and/or adversity, and as a result missed a significant portion of the 2024 season and shown improved performance to achieve success during the 2025 MLS regular season.
Eligibility: Player(s) must have appeared in at least one match during the 2025 MLS regular season.
Selection Process: Voted on by media members, clubs, and players.
Nominees:
- Conner Antley – D.C. United
- Daniel – San Jose Earthquakes
- Kyle Duncan – New York Red Bulls
- Lawrence Ennali – Houston Dynamo FC
- Nick Hagglund – FC Cincinnati
- Pablo Ruiz – Real Salt Lake
- Richie Laryea – Toronto FC
Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award
Description: Honors an MLS player who showed outstanding dedication to charitable efforts and serving the community during the 2025 season.
Eligibility: Nomination must include an accompanying biography, and photos and/or videos of the player interacting with the local community. Bios can be found HERE.
Selection Process: Voted upon by media members, clubs, and players.
Nominees:
- Andrew Farrell – New England Revolution
- Brad Stuver – Austin FC
- Brian White – Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Carlos Mercado – Orlando City SC
- Daniel Edelman – New York Red Bulls
- Dayne St. Clair – Minnesota United FC
- Diego Luna – Real Salt Lake
- Emmanuel Boateng – San Diego FC
- Evan Bush – Columbus Crew
- Griffin Dorsey – Houston Dynamo FC
- Jonathan Osorio – Toronto FC
- Kellyn Acosta – Chicago Fire FC
- Kévin Denkey – FC Cincinnati
- Logan Farrington – FC Dallas
- Mason Toye – Sporting Kansas City
- Miguel Almirón – Atlanta United
- Nathan Harriel – Philadelphia Union
- Ousseni Bouda – San Jose Earthquakes
- Ryan Hollingshead – Los Angeles Football Club
- Stefan Frei – Seattle Sounders FC
- Walker Zimmerman – Nashville SC
- Zack Steffen – Colorado Rapids
MLS Best XI
Description: The MLS Best XI is a compilation of the 11 best players by position from the 2025 MLS regular season.
Eligibility: Players must have played at least 500 minutes 2025 MLS regular season.
Selection Process:
- Voters (Clubs/Players/Media) will be asked to select their preferred formation (5-3-2, 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 3-5-2, 3-4-3) and select 11 different players, including at least one goalkeeper, at least 3 defenders, at least 3 midfielders, and at least 2 forwards.
- Players will be ranked from most to least votes, then selected by position to the MLS Best XI. The formation of the MLS Best XI will be determined by the players who receive the most votes.
- Player and Club votes submitted for nominees of the voter’s club will not be counted toward the final results.
- The formation of the MLS Best XI will be determined by the players who receive the most votes, not the formation that receives the most selections.
AT&T MLS Goal of the Year
Description: Best goal scored during the 2025 MLS regular season as determined by the fans.
Eligibility: MLSsoccer.com editors will determine the list of 16 finalists based on Goal of the Week nominees and Goal of the Week winners.
Selection Process: Fans will vote on MLSsoccer.com.
MLS Save of the Year
Description: Best save made by a goalkeeper during the 2025 MLS season as determined by the fans.
Eligibility: MLSsoccer.com editors will determine the list of 16 finalists based on “What a Save” weekly nominees.
Selection Process: Fans will vote on MLSsoccer.com.
Supporters’ Shield
Selection Process: The Supporters’ Shield is statistically determined by and awarded to the team who finishes top of the regular season table with the most points.
MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi
Selection Process: The MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi is statistically determined by and awarded to the player who scores the most goals during the MLS regular season. In the case of a tie, the total number of assists is the first tiebreaker, followed by the fewest minutes played.
The following awards will have a nomination process facilitated by the Professional Referee Organization:
MLS Referee of the Year
Description: Best performing head referee of the 2025 MLS season.
Eligibility: Referees must have earned an assignment in at least one 2025 MLS regular season game. The Professional Referee Organization facilitate a nomination process that includes input from MLS match officials to determine the final candidates who appear on the ballot
Selection Process: Voted on by media members, clubs, and players.
Nominees:
- Allen Chapman
- Drew Fischer
- Guido Gonzales Jr
Assistant Referee of the Year
Description: Best performing assistant referee of the 2025 MLS season.
Eligibility: Assistant Referees must have earned an assignment in at least one 2025 MLS regular season game. The Professional Referee Organization facilitate a nomination process that includes input from MLS match officials to determine the final candidates who appear on the ballot
Selection Process: Voted on by media members, clubs, and players.
Nominees:
- Cam Blanchard
- Cory Richardson
- Nick Uranga
