NEW YORK – Los Angeles Football Club forward Diego Rossi Sunday won the Major League Soccer Golden Boot at 22, becoming the youngest player in MLS history to lead the league in goals.
Rossi led MLS with 14 goals in 19 matches, with a career-high goals-per-game average of .737.
The Uruguay international earned his fourth individual honor this season after a tremendous performance at the MLS is Back Tournament in which he won the Golden Boot with seven goals. Rossi also was named the MLS is Back young player of the tournament and to the competition’s Best XI.
Rossi bested Carlos Ruiz’s record as he led MLS with 24 goals in 2002 at 23. That same year, before the Golden Boot was officially awarded, Taylor Twellman, then 22, was named the MLS scoring champion with the most points from combined goals and assists.
Rossi helped LAFC to a league-best 47 goals in the regular season, with the team’s 2.14 goals-per-game average standing as the seventh most in league history.
Major League Soccer Golden Boot/Scoring Champion winners
| Season | Player | Team | Goals/Points (G/A) |
| 2020 | Diego Rossi | Los Angeles Football Club | 14 goals |
| 2019 | Carlos Vela | Los Angeles Football Club | 34 goals |
| 2018 | Josef MartÃnez | Atlanta United | 31 goals |
| 2017 | Nemanja Nikolić | Chicago Fire | 24 goals |
| 2016 | Bradley Wright-Phillips | New York Red Bulls | 24 goals |
| 2015 | Sebastian Giovinco | Toronto FC | 22 goals |
| 2014 | Bradley Wright-Phillips | New York Red Bulls | 27 goals |
| 2013 | Camilo Sanvezzo | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 22 goals |
| 2012 | Chris Wondolowski | San Jose Earthquakes | 27 goals |
| 2011 | Dwayne De Rosario | D.C. United | 16 goals |
| 2010 | Chris Wondolowski | San Jose Earthquakes | 18 goals |
| 2009 | Jeff Cunningham | FC Dallas | 17 goals |
| 2008 | Landon Donovan | Los Angeles Galaxy | 20 goals |
| 2007 | Luciano EmÃlio | D.C. United | 20 goals |
| 2006 | Jeff Cunningham | Real Salt Lake | 16 goals |
| 2005 | Taylor Twellman | New England Revolution | 17 goals |
| 2004 | Amado Guevara | MetroStars | 30 (10g, 10a) |
| Pat Noonan | New England Revolution | 30 (11g, 8 a) | |
| (TOP 3: Amado Guevara, MetroStars (10g, 10a = 30 pts); Pat Noonan, New England Revolution (11g, 8a = 30 pts); Brian Ching, San Jose Earthquakes (12g, 4a = 28 pts) | |||
| 2003 | Preki | Kansas City Wizards | 41 (12g, 17a) |
| (TOP 3: Preki, Kansas City Wizards (12g, 17a = 41 pts); Carlos Ruiz, L.A. Galaxy (15g, 5a = 35 pts); Ante Razov, Chicago Fire (14g, 6a = 34 pts); Taylor Twellman, New England Revolution (15g, 4a = 34 pts) | |||
| 2002 | Taylor Twellman | New England Revolution | 52 (23g, 6a) |
| (TOP 3: Taylor Twellman, New England Revolution (23g, 6a = 52 pts); Carlos Ruiz, Los Angeles Galaxy (24g, 1a = 49 pts); Jeff Cunningham, Columbus Crew (16g, 5a = 37 pts) | |||
| 2001 | Alex Pineda Chacón | Miami Fusion | 47 (19g, 4a) |
| (TOP 3: Alex Pineda Chacón, Miami Fusion (19g, 4a = 47 pts); Diego Serna, Miami Fusion, (15g, 15a = 45 pts); John Spencer, Colorado Rapids, (14g, 7a = 35 pts) | |||
| 2000 | Mamadou Diallo | Tampa Bay Mutiny | 56 (26g, 4a) |
| (TOP 3: Mamadou Diallo, Tampa Bay Mutiny (26g, 4a = 56 pts); Clint Mathis, Los Angeles/MetroStars, (16g, 14a = 46 pts); Ante Razov, Chicago Fire (18g, 6a = 42 pts); Diego Serna, Miami Fusion, (16g, 10a = 42 pts) | |||
| 1999 | Jason Kreis | Dallas Burn | 51 (18g, 15a) |
| (TOP 3: Jason Kreis, Dallas Burn (18g, 15a = 51 pts); Roy Lassiter, D.C. United, (18g, 11a = 47 pts); Ronald Cerritos, San Jose Clash (15g, 9a = 39 pts) | |||
| 1998 | Stern John | Columbus Crew | 57 (26g, 5a) |
| (TOP 3: Stern John, Columbus Crew (26g, 5a = 57 pts); Cobi Jones, Los Angeles Galaxy (19g, 13a = 51 pts); Welton, Los Angeles Galaxy (17g, 11a = 45 pts) | |||
| 1997 | Preki | Kansas City Wizards | 41 (12g, 17a) |
| (TOP 3: Preki, Kansas City Wizards (12g, 17a = 41 pts); Jaime Moreno, D.C. United, (16g, 8a = 40 pts); Raul Diaz Arce, D.C. United (15g, 6a = 36 pts) | |||
| 1996 | Roy Lassiter | Tampa Bay Mutiny | 58 (27g, 4a) |
| (TOP 3: Roy Lassiter, Tampa Bay Mutiny (27g, 4a = 58 pts); Preki, Kansas City Wiz (18g, 13a = 49 pts); Eduardo Hurtado, Los Angeles Galaxy, (21g, 7a = 49 pts) | |||
* up to the 2004 season, the scoring champion was determined by total points, with a goal counting two points and assists counting as one. Beginning in 2005, the title was renamed the Golden Boot, and awarded to the leading goalscorer in the season. In case of a tie, the winner will be decided by the player with the most assists; if still tied, the winner will be the player with fewer minutes played.
