Five U.S. and Canada players selected for the first time since the 2015 season
NEW YORK (Wednesday, November 5, 2025) – Major League Soccer today announced the 2025 MLS Best XI, which recognizes the league’s top players at each position as determined by members of the media, MLS players, and MLS club technical staffs.
- Download 2025 MLS Best XI media assets HERE.
The 2025 MLS Best XI features five players from the U.S. and Canada, which is the most in a single season since 2015, when there were also five. Six different individuals are first-time honorees, and nine different MLS clubs are represented, with the Philadelphia Union and Vancouver Whitecaps FC leading the pack with two representatives each.
2025 MLS Best XI
- Goalkeeper: Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United FC)
- Defenders: Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Alex Freeman (Orlando City SC), Jakob Glesnes (Philadelphia Union), Kai Wagner (Philadelphia Union)
- Midfielders: Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Evander (FC Cincinnati), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC)
- Forwards: Denis Bouanga (LAFC), Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF)
This season’s Best XI includes 10 2025 MLS All-Star selections and five individual award winners in the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi winner Lionel Messi, MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair, MLS Defender of the Year Tristan Blackmon, MLS Young Player of the Year Alex Freeman, and MLS Newcomer of the Year Anders Dreyer.
Two different clubs added their first MLS Best XI selection this year – Orlando City SC (Alex Freeman) and San Diego FC (Anders Dreyer). At 21 years and 88 days old, Freeman is the youngest player to be named to the MLS Best XI since Philadelphia’s Brenden Aaronson earned the honor in 2020 (20 years, 29 days). With Dreyer’s selection, San Diego is the third expansion team since the start of the decade to have a player named to the MLS Best XI in their debut season, joining St. Louis CITY SC in 2023 (Roman Bürki) and Nashville SC in 2020 (Walker Zimmerman).
The most decorated player selected is LAFC forward Denis Bouanga who has earned his third consecutive selection as a forward. The last player to make the MLS Best XI as a forward in three-straight seasons was Josef MartÃnez from 2017-19. Additionally, the Philadelphia Union had both Jakob Glesnes and Kai Wagner selected for the second time, after previously having done so in 2022. It marks just the second time in MLS history a pair of teammates at the same position have been selected in multiple years together to the Best XI, joining the Chicago Fire’s Chris Armas and Piotr Nowak (midfielders in 1998, 2000, and 2001).
Seven different countries are represented by this year’s selections, with the United States leading with four different players. Minnesota’s Dayne St. Clair marked the first Canadian selection since Tajon Buchanan in 2021 while San Diego’s Anders Dreyer is the third Danish player to earn the honor, along with Jimmy Nielsen (2012) and Ronnie Ekelund (2002).
2025 MLS Best XI
Dayne St. Clair | Goalkeeper | Minnesota United FC | Nationality: Canada | 1st Selection
The 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, St. Clair joins Tajon Buchanan (2021) as the only Canadian players to be named to the MLS Best XI in the past decade. St. Clair was the lone goalkeeper in MLS this season to produce a save percentage of at least 75% and a goals allowed per game average of 1.00 or fewer (min. 20 games). St. Clair’s save percentage (77.93%) was the best among qualifying goalkeepers and he also ranked in the top five in clean sheets (10) and total saves (113). He is the third player in Loons history to be named to the Best XI, alongside goalkeeper Vito Mannone and defender Ike Opara in 2019.
Tristan Blackmon | Defender | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Nationality: United States | 1st Selection
Blackmon earned MLS Defender of the Year honors after helping the Whitecaps set single-season club records in points (63), wins (18), and goal differential (plus-28). In his 25 appearances, Vancouver allowed just 1.08 goals per game, and he was a key figure in 11 of the club’s 13 regular-season shutouts. Blackmon is the second Vancouver defender to earn Best XI honors, joining Kendall Waston (2015 and 2017).
Alex Freeman | Defender | Orlando City SC | Nationality: United States | 1st Selection
At 21 years and 88 days old, Freeman is the youngest player named to the MLS Best XI since Philadelphia’s Brenden Aaronson (20 years, 29 days) in 2020. The outside back excelled as a two-way defender with six goals and three assists in 2025, which helped him earn MLS Young Player of the Year accolades. Freeman is also the first Orlando City SC player to be selected to the MLS Best XI.
Jakob Glesnes | Defender | Philadelphia Union | Nationality: Norway | 2nd Selection
Glesnes earned his second-ever Best XI selection this season after leading Philadelphia to the best defense in MLS (35 goals allowed) and a Supporters’ Shield triumph. The Norwegian defender logged 2,626 minutes and ranked second on the team with 30 clearances. Glesnes and teammate Kai Wagner are the Union’s 10th and 11th Best XI selections in club history as Philadelphia became the 11th team to reach double-digit selections.
Kai Wagner | Defender | Philadelphia Union | Nationality: Germany | 2nd Selection
Wagner led Philadelphia in minutes played (2,769), assists (11), and key passes (90) as the club lifted their second Supporters’ Shield in club history. Wagner’s 11 assists were the second most by a defender in MLS this season and bringing his total to 63 in his seven-year MLS career. The German defender is the only full back since the start of 2010 to earn multiple MLS Best XI honors after previously being named to the team in 2022.
Sebastian Berhalter | Midfielder | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Nationality: United States | 1st Selection
The midfield engine of Vancouver’s club-record best season was Berhalter who set single-season career highs in goals (four), assists (11), minutes played (2,296), and game-winning goal contributions (three). Of Vancouver’s 63 points in 2025, Berhalter either started or appeared in matches where the Whitecaps accumulated 57 of those points. Berhalter is the first Whitecaps midfielder to be named to the MLS Best XI.
Evander | Midfielder | FC Cincinnati | Nationality: Brazil | 2nd Selection
In his first season with FC Cincinnati, Evander scored 18 goals and added 15 assists for a team that finished second in the Supporters’ Shield standings. It marked Evander’s second-straight season with at least 15 goals and 15 assists, joining Lionel Messi (2024-25) and Sebastian Giovinco (2015-16) as the only players to accomplish this feat. Among all players in 2025, his goals above expected (+9.17) ranked first in MLS. Evander is the first Brazilian player in league history to be named to multiple MLS Best XIs.
Cristian Roldan | Midfielder | Seattle Sounders FC | Nationality: United States | 1st Selection
A staple of Seattle’s midfield since 2015, Roldan led the team in minutes played (2,633), games started (30), and passes completed (1,849). His nine assists were second on the Sounders and tied for his single-season career high (2018). Among all players in MLS in 2025, Roldan was the only one to complete more than 1,800 passes, produce at least nine assists, and score three or more goals. Roldan is the first player to earn his inaugural Best XI selection after 10-plus seasons in the league since Diego Chara for the Portland Timbers in 2020.
Denis Bouanga | Forward | LAFC | Nationality: Gabon | 3rd Selection
Bouanga scored 24 goals in the 2025 regular season as he became the first player in MLS history to eclipse 20 goals in three consecutive seasons. The Gabonese international earned Best XI selections in both 2023 and 2024 and is the first forward to make Best XI in three-straight seasons since Josef MartÃnez for Atlanta United from 2017-19. Bouanga joins Carlos Vela (2018, 2019, and 2022) as the only LAFC players to make Best XI three times.
Anders Dreyer | Forward | San Diego FC | Nationality: Denmark | 1st Selection
In his debut season, Dreyer tied the MLS record for the most goal contributions (38) by a first-year player, leading San Diego FC to the single-season points record by an expansion club (63). The Danish forward was named MLS Newcomer of the Year after contributions to 59.4% of San Diego’s 64 goals in 2025. Dreyer is the third player from an expansion team since the start of the decade to be named to the MLS Best XI in their debut season, joining St. Louis CITY SC in 2023 (Roman Bürki) and Nashville SC in 2020 (Walker Zimmerman).
Lionel Messi | Forward | Inter Miami CF | Nationality: Argentina | 2nd Selection
Messi finished 2025 with the second-most goal contributions in a single season (48) in MLS history and took home the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi after scoring 29 times. He became the second player in MLS history to lead the league in both goals (29) and assists (19), which propelled him to his second-straight MLS Best XI selection.
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