2025 MLS MVP Odds: Favorites, Longshots & Predictions

There are few more prestigious individual honors in the MLS than being awarded the MVP accolade. Since 2015, it has been renamed to honor American legend Landon Donovan. 

Kansas City star Preki is the only player to have won the award twice, but which stars could be in the running to join the lines of David Villa, Robbie Keane, and Carlos Vela?

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi could become only the two-time award winner in 2025 after winning the MVP accolade in his first season with Inter Miami in 2024. 

The Argentinian superstar has been the standout player for the title-chasing Miami again this season, netting three and adding two assists in six league outings. Messi will be crucial for the team if they are to register a first-ever MLS Cup success in 2025. 

Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez enjoyed an excellent first season in the MLS with Inter Miami in 2024 after netting 21 goals in 30 appearances. The former Barcelona superstar is set to play a key role alongside Messi this season if the team is to break their maiden tag in the MLS. 

After registering six goal involvements in eight appearances, the 38-year-old has already been one of the standout stars in the North American competition. 

Christian Benteke

While Inter Miami stars dominate the betting, there could be value in siding with D.C. United’s Christian Benteke. The Belgian striker has been one of the standout forwards in the league since moving to the United States. 

He has been a continued threat in the final third, netting 14 in 31 in his first full season in the nation’s capital, before eclipsing that tally with 23 goals in 30 matches in 2024. He could already be on course for his best scoring season with United after netting five in nine at the start of 2025. 

Denis Bouanga 

Denis Bouanga has been a standout player in the MLS since joining Los Angeles FC in 2022. He made an immediate impression in the competition after winning the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup in 2022. 

His individual performances continued to catch the eye after winning the Golden Boot in 2023. His excellent scoring heroics have already caught the eye this season, netting four in nine appearances, as he bids to emulate his 21-goal haul in 2024.

Brian White

An American international hasn’t won MVP since Mike Magee in 2013. Therefore, Brian White could hold interesting claims this year. 

The striker has enjoyed an excellent start to the season with the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2025, and he already looks on course to break his best scoring season, which was set in 2024 with 16 goals in 34 matches. The Caps star has already scored six in eight appearances this season, and he will be a key star in the Canadian team’s hunt for a playoff spot this season.

Emmanuel Latte Lath

History was made in February, as Emmanuel Latte Lath joined Atlanta United for an MLS-record fee from Middlesbrough. The striker has an excellent scoring record throughout his career, netting 27 in 59 for his former Championship side. 

The 26-year-old has quickly become a standout player in the MLS for his new team this season, netting five in six appearances. If he can maintain his performance levels, the Ivory Coast international could play a big role in United’s title push. 

Previous MLS MVP Award Winners

The Landon Donovan MVP Award has been handed to the best-performing player in the North American league since 1996. 

D.C. United have been represented the most, with four previous winners playing for the club. You can find out more about the recent recipients of the accolade here.