The 15 best goal-scoring seasons in MLS history

Lionel Messi will embark on his first full MLS season next year but he will have some way to go if he is to break the all-time goal-scoring record in a single season. Here are the 15 best goal-scoring seasons in MLS history.

Los Angeles Football Club v Vancouver Whitecaps FC - CONCACAF Champions League: Quarterfinal - Leg 1 / Christopher Morris - Corbis/GettyImages

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6. Bradley Wright-Phillips — 2014 — 27 goals

Bradley Wright-Phillips arrived at the New York Red Bulls after a difficult time with Charlton Athletic in the Championship. In 2014 it really got going for the forward as he found the back of the net 27 times in 32 MLS games.

Wright-Phillips scored three hat-tricks that year against Houston Dynamo, Chicago Fire and the Seattle Sounders. He also scored in a friendly against Arsenal which was the club his father Ian Wright used to play for. In the MLS All-Star Game, he also managed to get a goal against Bayern Munich.

He also scored four times in the playoffs but he had to miss the semi-final second leg against the New England Revolution. The Red Bulls would lose 4-3 on aggregate in that game.

7. Josef Martinez — 2019 — 27 goals

Josef Martinez makes the list for the second time with his 27 goals in 29 MLS games which came the year after he had won the Golden Boot.

Atalanta United made it to the playoffs but they could not defend their title as they were defeated by Toronto FC in the semi-finals. However, Atalanta would win the Campeones Cup and the U.S. Open Cup that year.

Martinez would leave Atalanta in 2022 to join Inter Miami where he is now playing alongside Lionel Messi.

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