Carlos Vela becomes first Mexican to win MLS MVP

LAFC forward Carlos Vela was named the 2019 MLS MVP, becoming the first Mexican ever to be recognized with the highest individual award in Major League Soccer.

Vela received 69.6% of the final vote, with no other player receiving more than 15%. The LA Galaxy’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic came in second after collecting just 14.1% of the vote, while Josef Martinez finished third with 6.9%.

Vela was absolutely phenomenal in the 2019 season, finishing the campaign with 36 goals and 16 assists in 33 matches. He was essentially unstoppable as the goals were enough to earn him this season’s Golden Boot award, while also breaking Major League Soccer’s all-time single-season goalscoring record. In addition, he helped LAFC win the MLS Supporters’ Shield and their first ever MLS Cup Playoff match.

In the end, Vela was the obvious choice. In just his second season in MLS, the 30-year-old has asserted himself as the best player in the whole league.