Benteke Beats Messi, Suarez To MLS Golden Boot Award

D.C. United forward and two-time Major League Soccer All-Star Christian Benteke has won the 2024 MLS Golden Boot Award after scoring 23 goals this season.

Benteke beat Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi (20) and Luis Suárez (20) and also LAFC’s Dénis Bouanga (20 goals), and Columbus Crew’s Cucho Hernández (19 goals) to the award.

The former Liverpool striker became the first Belgian in league history and the third D.C. United player to win the award joining Dwayne De Rosario in 2011 (16 goals) and Luciano Emilio in 2007 (20 goals).

He finished the season with 23 goals in 30 matches and set a club record for most goals across all competitions in a single season.

This marked the Belgians 10th season with 10+ goals across all competitions. He scored 44% of D.C. United’s 52 goals this season including six multi-goal matches.

He would finish the MLS season with 99 shots, seven assists and led the league in aerial duels with 431and headed shots with 47.

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This 23 goal season marks Benteke’s most productive season since scoring 19 goals for Aston Villa during the 2012-2013 Premier League season where he finished 4th in the Golden Boot race behind Robin Van Persie (Manchester United), Luis Suarez (Liverpool FC), and Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur).

In two-and-a-half seasons with D.C. United, Benteke has scored 38 goals, provided 11 assists, with 228 total shots, and 852 aerial duels in 68 MLS matches.