Who is the MLS all-time leading scorer?
Chris Wondolowski is the all-time MLS regular-season goals leader with 171 goals. He finished 24 goals ahead of second-place Kei Kamara, who retired with 147. Landon Donovan is third with 145. Active scorer Josef Martínez sits sixth on 131, while Hany Mukhtar has climbed to 95.
MLS All-Time Top Three Scorers
Chris Wondolowski
171 goals · MLS record
Kei Kamara
147 goals
Landon Donovan
145 goals
MLS All-Time Top Scorers Ranked
This ranking counts MLS regular-season goals only. Audi MLS Cup Playoffs goals, U.S. Open Cup goals, Leagues Cup goals and other competitions are excluded so every player is measured on one consistent league standard.
Chris Wondolowski
San Jose Earthquakes icon and the MLS regular-season scoring record holder.
Kei Kamara
A two-decade MLS journey across a record number of clubs ended with the second-highest total in league history.
Landon Donovan
The longtime benchmark before Wondolowski passed him, and still one of MLS’s defining American attackers.
Jeff Cunningham
A two-time Golden Boot winner whose longevity kept him near the summit across several MLS clubs.
Jaime Moreno
A foundational D.C. United star who paired elite scoring with more than 100 regular-season assists.
Josef Martínez
The highest-ranked active scorer on this list, with a historically fast path to 100 goals and room to climb further.
Bradley Wright-Phillips
The New York Red Bulls great reached 100 career goals faster than any player had before him at the time.
Ante Razov
One of the original era’s most consistent scorers and a central figure in Chicago Fire’s early success.
Jason Kreis
An MLS original who became the first player in league history to reach 100 regular-season goals.
Gyasi Zardes
A productive scorer across LA Galaxy, Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids and Austin FC.
Dwayne De Rosario
A four-time MLS Cup winner whose scoring output came alongside elite chance creation and midfield influence.
Taylor Twellman
A ruthless penalty-area scorer who reached 101 goals in only 174 regular-season games.
Edson Buddle
The eighth player in league history to reach the century mark, with major scoring runs for Columbus and LA Galaxy.
Hany Mukhtar
Nashville SC’s franchise icon reached 95 regular-season goals with his September 2026 brace against Toronto.
Carlos Ruiz
The Guatemalan striker combined power, movement and big-game scoring across a decade in MLS.
C.J. Sapong
A long-running MLS center forward whose regular-season career spanned Sporting KC, Philadelphia, Chicago, Nashville and Toronto.
Roy Lassiter
The league’s original single-season scoring record holder and one of MLS’s first great pure finishers.
Diego Valeri
A playmaker who also scored like a forward, finishing as Portland’s all-time leading scorer in regular-season play.
Robbie Keane
The LA Galaxy great scored 83 MLS regular-season goals, placing him between Diego Valeri and the two players tied on 82. His peak years also included the 2014 MLS MVP award and three MLS Cup titles with the Galaxy.
Brian Ching
Houston’s original attacking reference point and a three-time MLS Cup champion.
Raúl Díaz Arce
A devastating early-era finisher who scored 82 goals in just 150 regular-season appearances.
MLS Goal Leaders: Top 20 Career Ranks
| Rank | Player | Regular-Season Goals | MLS Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Wondolowski | 171 | 2005–2021 |
| 2 | Kei Kamara | 147 | 2006–2025 |
| 3 | Landon Donovan | 145 | 2001–2016 |
| 4 | Jeff Cunningham | 134 | 1998–2011 |
| 5 | Jaime Moreno | 133 | 1996–2010 |
| 6 | Josef Martínez | 131 | 2017–present |
| 7 | Bradley Wright-Phillips | 117 | 2013–2021 |
| 8 | Ante Razov | 114 | 1996–2009 |
| 9 | Jason Kreis | 108 | 1996–2007 |
| 10 | Gyasi Zardes | 106 | 2013–2024 |
| 11 | Dwayne De Rosario | 104 | 2001–2014 |
| 12 | Taylor Twellman | 101 | 2002–2010 |
| 13 | Edson Buddle | 100 | 2001–2015 |
| 14 | Hany Mukhtar | 95 | 2020–present |
| 15 | Carlos Ruiz | 89 | 2002–2016 |
| 15 | C.J. Sapong | 89 | 2011–2023 |
| 17 | Roy Lassiter | 88 | 1996–2002 |
| 18 | Diego Valeri | 86 | 2013–2021 |
| 19 | Robbie Keane | 83 | 2011–2016 |
| 20 | Brian Ching | 82 | 2001–2013 |
| 20 | Raúl Díaz Arce | 82 | 1996–2001 |
Data cutoff: October 3, 2026. Josef Martínez and Hany Mukhtar are active MLS players, so their totals can change. This is a Top 20 ranks leaderboard: Brian Ching and Raúl Díaz Arce are tied at No. 20 on 82 goals, so 21 players appear in the table.
Josef Martínez and Hany Mukhtar Are Still Climbing
The top five are retired, but the table is not frozen. Josef Martínez returned to MLS with Columbus Crew in 2026 and scored his 131st regular-season goal against Inter Miami on September 27. That leaves him only two behind Jaime Moreno and three behind Jeff Cunningham. MLS has also documented Martínez as the fastest player to reach 100 regular-season goals.
Hany Mukhtar is moving quickly too. His September 27 brace against Toronto took him to 95 regular-season goals and 100 MLS goals when playoff scoring is included. Because this article ranks regular-season production only, his career-list total here is 95.
What the MLS All-Time Scoring List Actually Shows
Wondolowski’s 171 goals look even more imposing when the gaps are considered. He is 24 clear of Kamara and 26 ahead of Donovan. Nobody else in the top six has reached 150. The record is therefore not simply the product of one famous peak season; it is a longevity record built across 17 MLS campaigns.
The list also captures several different versions of the league. Moreno, Razov, Kreis, Lassiter and Díaz Arce were stars of MLS’s first generation. Donovan bridged the league’s early years and its growth era. Wright-Phillips, Martínez, Mukhtar and Valeri belong to a later MLS shaped by Designated Players, deeper scouting networks and more sophisticated attacking systems.
There is another lesson hiding in the numbers: being a great MLS scorer does not require one career path. Wondolowski became a record holder after a slow start. Kamara accumulated goals across numerous clubs. Donovan combined scoring with the league’s all-time assist record. Martínez reached the elite tier through extraordinary scoring speed. The same table contains durability, peak dominance and reinvention.
How TMJ Built the MLS All-Time Scorers Ranking
The ranking uses MLS regular-season goals as the only ordering metric. Playoff goals are excluded because MLS maintains separate postseason records. Active-player totals were checked against current MLS reporting through October 3, 2026; retired-player totals were cross-checked against MLS record articles, player profiles and league archive material. Players level on goals share the same rank, which is why the Top 20 ranks can contain more than 20 individual players.
- Primary source: Major League Soccer.
- Wondolowski record: MLS retirement record.
- Kamara total: MLS player profile.
- Josef Martínez current total: MLS milestone report.
- Hany Mukhtar current total: MLS September 2026 milestone report.
- Robbie Keane career total: MLS all-time scorers record.
MLS All-Time Top Scorers FAQ
Who has scored the most goals in MLS history?
Chris Wondolowski holds the MLS regular-season record with 171 career goals.
Who is second on the MLS all-time scoring list?
Kei Kamara is second with 147 regular-season goals, two ahead of Landon Donovan’s 145.
Who is the active MLS career goals leader?
Josef Martínez is the highest active player on the list with 131 regular-season goals as of October 3, 2026.
Do playoff goals count in this ranking?
No. This list ranks MLS regular-season goals only. Audi MLS Cup Playoffs goals are tracked separately.
How many players have scored 100 MLS regular-season goals?
Thirteen players have reached at least 100 MLS regular-season goals, from Chris Wondolowski at 171 down to Edson Buddle at exactly 100.