Five games remain in the 2024 Major League Soccer regular season, and everything — from the Supporters’ Shield to the final playoff spots — is still up for grabs.
The Golden Boot, the annual award for the top goalscorer in the league, is one of the more prestigious awards in MLS. LAFC’s Denis Bouanga won it last season with 20 goals. Nashville SC’s Hany Mukhtar earned it in 2022 with 23 goals.
This season, 14 players remain in contention for the title. Here’s a look at the top contenders:
Christian Benteke | D.C. United, 19 goals
D.C. United, currently in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, hasn’t played well this season. But thanks to Belgian striker Benteke, it still has an outside shot for the postseason.
Benteke, known for thundering headers and stellar physicality, is impressively efficient, scoring on 52% of his shots.
No one in MLS is better at scoring goals inside the penalty box than Benteke, and with Nashville and New England — two of the league’s worst defensive units — still on the schedule for D.C., he’s the clear favorite to take home the Golden Boot.
