5 Best Los Angeles FC MLS Players, Ranked

Since beginning play in 2018, Los Angeles FC has quickly become one of the most successful franchises in Major League Soccer.

LAFC has won an MLS Cup (2022), two Supporters’ Shields (2019 and 2022), and a U.S. Open Cup (2024), and perennially sits near the top of the soccer odds in each competition.

A significant part of the franchise’s success has been its players, and I’ve ranked the five best Los Angeles FC players in the club’s MLS history.

5 Best Los Angeles FC MLS Players, Ranked

LAFC All-Time Greatest Players

1. Carlos Vela

Vela’s impact on LAFC isn’t likely to be matched anytime soon. 

The Mexico international joined as the club’s first Designated Player ahead of the 2018 season and remains its all-time leader in goals and assists.

Vela’s 2019 campaign was one for the record books, as he set the single-season MLS scoring record with 34 goals, earning MLS MVP honours in addition to the Golden Boot.

He earned three MLS All-Star and Best XI nods and helped the franchise to all four of its major trophies, cementing himself as a club legend before his 2025 retirement.

2. Denis Bouanga

When I’m making my MLS betting picks, Bouanga is a player that I target for goal and assist props.

The French winger has taken over the goal contribution mantle from Vela, recording 13 goals and seven assists in his first 20 matches of the 2025 campaign. 

Bouanga earned MLS All-Star and Best XI nods for back-to-back 20-goal seasons (2023 and 2024) and helped LAFC to the Shield-MLS Cup double in 2022 after joining the club that August.

3. Diego Rossi

Rossi scored the first goal in LAFC history, capping his and the club’s MLS debut with the lone tally in a 1-0 road victory over the Seattle Sounders. 

The Uruguayan scored double-digit goals in his first three seasons with LAFC, including the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, which saw him net a league-leading 14 goals in 19 appearances en route to Young Player of the Year honours.

4. Latif Blessing

Blessing, the second pick in the 2017 MLS Expansion Draft, was a stalwart in the LAFC midfield throughout his five seasons with the club.

The Ghanaian made over 140 appearances during his tenure and ranks second behind Vela on the club’s all-time appearances list.

Blessing helped LAFC to a pair of Supporters’ Shields and its lone MLS Cup triumph, though he was an unused substitute in the win over Philadelphia before being acquired by New England in 2023.

5. Jesus Murillo

The Colombian centre back joined LAFC on loan in October 2020 before inking a permanent deal the following January.

Murillo played a vital role at the heart of defence during LAFC’s double-winning 2022 campaign, making 29 appearances (27 starts). He capped off the season by playing 120 minutes and scoring the club’s second goal in the MLS Cup triumph over the Union.