LAFC superstar Denis Bouanga made history on Sunday night, becoming the first player in league history to score at least 20 goals in three consecutive seasons.
Bouanga reached that milestone in stunning fashion, scoring a hat trick in a 4-1 rout of Real Salt Lake at BMO Stadium.
The Gabon international tallied in first-half stoppage time (45+1') when combining with Son Heung-Min, then netted a brace to put the game out of reach (73', 87').
Golden Boot charge
The three-time MLS All-Star is now firmly in the Golden Boot presented by Audi race, equaling Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi with 22 goals scored.
Messi is narrowly ahead on the first tiebreaker (assists), dishing out 12 helpers compared to Bouanga's eight. They're trailed by Nashville SC striker Sam Surridge, who has 21 goals.
Bouanga won the Golden Boot in 2023, scoring 20 goals during his first full season in Black & Gold. He also hit the 20-goal mark in 2024, finishing behind champion Christian Benteke (D.C. United).
Game-changing form
Bouanga has scored in four straight games to ascend the scoring charts, firing off a hat trick in two of his last three matches.
The perennial Best XI contender's other hat trick came in a recent 4-2 win at the San Jose Earthquakes.
Along the way, Bouanga has shown improved chemistry with Son. The South Korean superstar arrived in early August from Tottenham Hotspur on an MLS-record deal.
Elite crowd: 20+ goals in MLS history
Bouanga joined an elite group in the process, becoming the sixth player with multiple 20-goal seasons in MLS history:
- Denis Bouanga: 2023-25
- Bradley Wright-Phillips: 2014, 2016, 2018
- Lionel Messi: 2024-25
- Zlatan Ibrahimović: 2018-19
- Josef Martínez: 2018-19
- David Villa: 2016-17
Bouanga's latest milestone comes four days after he passed club legend Carlos Vela as LAFC's all-time leading goalscorer, tallying 1g/1a in a 4-1 win at RSL.
He now has 97 goals in 145 matches (all competitions) with the Black & Gold, putting the 100-goal mark within reach before season's end.
LAFC's high-octane attack, led by Bouanga and Son, returns to action on Saturday at St. Louis CITY SC (8:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
