Budding USMNT Playmaker One of Three Nominees for Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award as well as MLS Young Player of the Year Award
NEW YORK / HERRIMAN, Utah (Thursday, October 23, 2025) – Major League Soccer today announced the finalists for the 2025 MLS Year-End Awards, honoring the league’s top performers during the MLS regular season. Among the finalists for MULTIPLE awards is Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna, (MLS Young Player of the Year and Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award), last year’s honoree as the Young Player of the Year and this year’s RSL Golden Boot winner (10 goals and 7 assists across all competitions).
Luna is one of only two players to be a finalist for multiple awards, joining San Diego FC’s Anders Dreyer (Landon Donovan MLS MVP and MLS Newcomer of the Year). Individuals representing 16 of the 30 MLS clubs were unveiled today as finalists, with the winners set to be announced throughout the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The finalists for Landon Donovan MLS MVP include Denis Bouanga (LAFC), Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC), Evander (FC Cincinnati), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF), and Sam Surridge (Nashville SC). Four different clubs led MLS with three finalists each – LAFC, Philadelphia Union, San Diego FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. In their inaugural season, which saw them finish with the most points by an expansion club in MLS history, San Diego FC became the third expansion side since 2018 to produce at least three finalists in their debut season, joining St. Louis CITY SC (four in 2023) and LAFC (three in 2018).
The finalists for the annual awards earned the highest average votes from MLS club technical staff, MLS first-team players, and select media members, with each group accounting for 33.3 percent of the overall results. The 2025 Year-End Award Nominee list, in its entirety:
MLS Young Player of the Year
· Alex Freeman (Orlando City SC)
·Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake)
· Obed Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC)
Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award
· Ryan Hollingshead (LAFC)
·Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake)
· Brad Stuver (Austin FC)
Landon Donovan MLS MVP
· Denis Bouanga (LAFC)
· Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC)
· Evander (FC Cincinnati)
· Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF)
· Sam Surridge (Nashville SC)
Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year
· Bradley Carnell (Philadelphia Union)
· Jesper Sørensen (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
· Mikey Varas (San Diego FC)
MLS Comeback Player of the Year
· Lawrence Ennali (Houston Dynamo FC)
· Nick Hagglund (FC Cincinnati)
· Richie Laryea (Toronto FC)
MLS Defender of the Year
· Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
· Jakob Glesnes (Philadelphia Union)
· Kai Wagner (Philadelphia Union)
MLS Goalkeeper of the Year
· Matt Freese (New York City FC)
· Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United FC)
· Yohei Takaoka (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
MLS Newcomer of the Year
· Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC)
· Son Heung-Min (LAFC)
· Philip Zinckernagel (Chicago Fire FC)
The MLS AT&T Goal of the Year (Vote Here) and MLS Save of the Year (Vote Here) will be decided by online voting at MLSsoccer.com, with winners announced on Monday, Oct. 27. Voting opened on Monday, Oct. 20 and will close on Friday, Oct. 24.
MLS Referee and Assistant Referee of the Year award recipients will be announced on Friday, Oct. 24, and the MLS Best XI will be revealed at a later date.
