Here are the top 5 goal scorers in Major League Soccer (MLS) regular-season history.
| Rank | Player | MLS Goals | Club | Years Active |
| 1 | Chris Wondolowski | 171 | San Jose Earthquakes | 2005-20021 |
| 2 | Kei Kamara | 147 | Columbus Crew,Sporting KC,LAFC | 2006-2025 |
| 3 | Landon Donovan | 145 | LA Galaxy, San Jose Earthquakes | 2001-2016 |
| 4 | Jeff Cunningham | 134 | Columbus Crew,FC Dallas,Real Salt Lake | 1998-2011 |
| 5 | Jaime Moreno | 133 | DC United | 1996-2010 |
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The Record Holder: Chris Wondolowski sits alone at the top with 171 goals, a record built over 17 campaigns primarily with the San Jose Earthquakes.
Journeyman Longevity: Kei Kamara moved into sole possession of second place after scoring for 11 different MLS franchises throughout his career.
Dual Threat Leader: Landon Donovan holds third place in all-time goalscoring while also holding the league’s record for assists (136).
Jeff Cunningham and Jamie Moreno complete the top 5 list. However, 33-year-old Venezuelan striker Josef Martinez, playing for the Columbus Crew with 131 goals, is chasing them down and is just two goals behind Moreno and three behind Cunningham.
Where Does Messi Stand
Lionel Messi currently sits well outside the top 25 in all-time regular-season MLS scoring. Since joining Inter Miami CF in July 2023, Messi has compiled over 40 regular-season MLS goals (and more than 60 across all competitions, including MLS Cup Playoffs, Leagues Cup, and CONCACAF Champions Cup).
MLS Context & All-Time Rankings
Distance from top 5: The cutoff for the top 5 all-time MLS regular-season goals is 133 goals (Jaime Moreno). Chris Wondolowski holds the record with 171 goals.
Late MLS arrival: Because Messi joined MLS late in his career at age 36, he lacks the sheer volume of appearances (under 60 regular-season matches played) needed to reach the all-time longevity leaderboard.
Per-game dominance: Despite his lower ranking in absolute volume, Messi’s scoring rate of over 0.90 goals per match in MLS regular-season play is among the highest in league history, significantly outpacing the career rates of top-5 legacy scorers.
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