LAFC forward Denis Bouanga has been named among the four finalists for the 2025 MLS All-Star Captain Fan Vote presented by Captain Morgan. The other three nominees are: Evander of FC Cincinnati, Lionel Messi of Inter Miami CF, and Brandon Vazquez of Austin FC. The fan vote winner will be named captain of the 2025 MLS All-Star team ahead of the 2025 MLS All-Star Game at Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium on Wednesday, July 23.
The MLS All-Star Captain Fan Vote presented by Captain Morgan is now open, and will remain open through 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, July 11. Fans can participate in the MLS All-Star Captain Fan Vote by visiting MLSsoccer.com/vote and can share their selection on social media. Fans are eligible to vote 10 times per day through the duration of the voting period.
Bouanga, 30, received his third consecutive selection as an MLS All-Star (2023-25) this season, making him one of only four players on this year’s MLS All-Star squad to have been named an All-Star three or more times.
The second all-time leading goal-scorer in club history, Bouanga once again leads LAFC in scoring this season with eight goals and five assists in MLS play (as of July 1) as he looks to become the first player in MLS history to score 20 regular season goals in three consecutive seasons. He has scored 49 regular-season goals in 86 career MLS matches and now has 82 goals in all competitions for LAFC after scoring in the FIFA Club World Cup against Flamengo on June 24.
A member of the 2023 MLS Best XI and the winner of the 2023 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi, Bouanga joined LAFC in August of 2022 and helped lead the team to the 2022 Supporters’ Shield and 2022 MLS Cup title. He has since led the team to appearances in the 2023 MLS Cup final, the 2023 Concacaf Champions League final, the 2024 Leagues Cup final and helped the team win the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. His game winning goal in overtime against Mexico’s Club América in the FIFA Club World Cup Play-In Match secured LAFC a berth in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
First introduced to the All-Star voting process in 2023, fans had the opportunity to nominate a potential captain from their 11 player selections for the 2025 MLS All-Star team. The four All-Star selections who received the most captain nominations from the fan vote are placed on a ballot for fans to choose their MLS All-Star captain.
The selected captain will wear a custom armband designed by local Austin artist, Bobby Dixon, a frequent Austin FC collaborator. In partnership with MLS and Captain Morgan, Bobby took inspiration from their respective brand worlds and weaved in iconography unique to the city to create a one-of-a-kind design. The armband highlights the importance of encouraging fans to own their own spice and unleash memorable moments for everyone.
Bouanga will participate in both the MLS All-Star Game and MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T. The two events will be available to watch in more than 100 countries and regions in English, Spanish and French on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. Fans can subscribe to MLS Season Pass now through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, game consoles, and the web at tv.apple.com.
Tickets to the MLS All-Star Game are on sale at MLSSoccer.com/All-Star or by clicking here.
