Best MLS Player ESPY Award


The Best MLS Player ESPY Award is an annual award honoring the achievements of an individual from the world of Major League Soccer. It was first awarded as part of the ESPY Awards in 2006. The Best MLS Player ESPY Award trophy, designed by sculptor Lawrence Nowlan, is presented to the Major League Soccer player adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year at the annual ESPY Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. Balloting for the award is undertaken by fans over the Internet from between three and five nominees selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee, which is composed by a panel of experts. It is conferred in July to reflect performance and achievement over the preceding twelve months, which generally includes a portion of each of two MLS seasons.
The inaugural winner of the Best MLS Player ESPY Award was LA Galaxy forward Landon Donovan in 2006. He is one of two people to have been presented with the award more than once in its history, winning it a further four times in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011; he also earned a nomination in 2008. English right midfielder David Beckham, also for LA Galaxy, has been the second most successful player, winning twice in 2008 and 2012. American players have been the most successful with five wins and twenty-one nominations, while those who play in the position of a forward have been recognized on twelve occasions, and those who have played for LA Galaxy have won a total of nine awards and been nominated three more times. The 2019 holder of the Best MLS Player ESPY Award was Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimović of LA Galaxy who was announced as the winner at the Microsoft Theater. The award wasn't awarded in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

List of winners

Player's team won the MLS Cup
Player's team lost in the MLS Cup
† MPS Cup MVP

Statistics

NameWinsNominations
51
20
11
03
02
02
02
02

TeamWinsNominations
LA Galaxy93
New York Red Bulls26
Chicago Fire13
Toronto FC11
New York City FC11
New England Revolution05
D.C. United05
FC Dallas04
San Jose Earthquakes04
Seattle Sounders FC03
Sporting Kansas City03
Montreal Impact02
Atlanta United FC01
Colorado Rapids01
Houston Dynamo01
Philadelphia Union01
Portland Timbers01

CountryWinnersNominations
522
23
11
11
10
10
10
10
03
03
02
01
01
01
01
01
01
01
01
01
01