Lionel Messi and Anders Dreyer headline 2025 MVP race as Jesper Sørensen and Mikey Varas lead Coach of the Year field in MLS awards finalists reveal

The MVP race features a group of prolific attacking players who defined the 2025 regular season. Messi, aiming to become the first player in MLS history to win the award in consecutive years, led the league in goals to claim the Golden Boot. He finished the season with 29 goals and 19 assists. LAFC’s Denis Bouanga, last year’s runner-up, returns as a finalist after another strong campaign at the heart of LAFC’s attack with 24 goals and nine assists. 

San Diego FC’s Anders Dreyer also earned a place among the finalists after an impressive debut season, becoming just the fourth player in MLS history to record at least 15 goals and 15 assists in a single campaign at 19 goals and 19 assists. FC Cincinnati’s Evander and Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge round out the list, each playing pivotal roles in guiding their clubs to playoff contention.

MVP candidates

The Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year award features three finalists who led remarkable turnarounds. San Diego FC's Varas guided the expansion side to the most points ever by a first-year club, building a dynamic attacking team that set numerous offensive records. Philadelphia Union's Carnell transformed a struggling side into Eastern Conference contenders after taking over ahead of the season, implementing an aggressive pressing style that revitalized the club. The Vancouver Whitecaps' hire of Sørensen also proved impactful, with the Dane steering the club to second place this year in the Western Conference. 

Coach of the Year candidates

MLS also announced several other leading award finalists. Here is the full list:

Comeback Player of the Year

Defender of the Year

Goalkeeper of the Year

The finalists for each award category were determined through a comprehensive voting process involving MLS club technical staff, first-team players, and select media members, with each group accounting for one-third of the final results. As the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs progress, the league will announce winners across all categories, adding another layer of intrigue to the postseason competition.