MLS Golden Boot
The MLS Golden Boot (currently the Budweiser Golden Boot for sponsorship reasons) has been awarded since the 2005 season to Major League Soccer's regular season leading scorer. The award replaced the MLS Scoring Champion Award that was awarded since the league's inception in 1996.
2005–present
Since 2005 Major League Soccer has awarded the MLS Golden Boot to the player who has scored the most goals outright, with ties being broken by assists.
| Season | Player | Club | Goals | Games | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 |  Chris Wondolowski
|
San Jose Earthquakes | 27 | 32 | 0.84 |
| 2011 |  Dwayne De Rosario
|
Toronto FC / New York Red Bulls / D.C. United |
16 (1 for Toronto FC, 2 for New York Red Bulls, 13 for D.C. United.) |
33 | 0.48 |
| 2010 | Chris Wondolowski
|
San Jose Earthquakes | 18 | 28 | 0.64 |
| 2009 | Jeff Cunningham
|
FC Dallas | 17 | 28 | 0.61 |
| 2008 | Landon Donovan
|
Los Angeles Galaxy | 20 | 25 | 0.80 |
| 2007 |  Luciano Emilio
|
D.C. United | 20 | 29 | 0.69 |
| 2006 | Jeff Cunningham
|
Real Salt Lake | 16 | 31 | 0.52 |
| 2005 | Taylor Twellman
|
New England Revolution | 17 | 25 | 0.68 |
1996–2004
Prior to 2005 MLS used a point system that awarded two points for a goal and one point for an assist to give the MLS Scoring Champion Award. The players on the left won the Scoring Champion Award, while the players on the right would have won the Golden Boot if it had existed since 1996.
| Season | MLS Scoring Champion | MLS Golden Boot | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | Points | Player | Club | Goals | |
| 2004 |  Amado Guevara
|
MetroStars | 30 | Brian Ching
|
San Jose Earthquakes | 12 |
| Pat Noonan
|
New England Revolution | 30 | ||||
| 2003 | Preki
|
Kansas City Wizards | 41 |  Carlos Ruíz
|
Los Angeles Galaxy |
15 |
| Taylor Twellman
|
New England Revolution | 15 | ||||
| 2002 | Taylor Twellman
|
New England Revolution | 52 | Carlos Ruíz
|
Los Angeles Galaxy | 24 |
| 2001 | Alex Pineda Chacón
|
Miami Fusion | 47 | Alex Pineda Chacón
|
Miami Fusion | 19 |
| 2000 |  Mamadou Diallo
|
Tampa Bay Mutiny | 56 | Mamadou Diallo
|
Tampa Bay Mutiny | 26 |
| 1999 | Jason Kreis
|
Dallas Burn | 51 | Jason Kreis
|
Dallas Burn | 18 |
| 1998 |  Stern John
|
Columbus Crew | 57 | Stern John
|
Columbus Crew | 26 |
| 1997 | Preki
|
Kansas City Wizards | 41 |  Jaime Moreno
|
D.C. United | 16 |
| 1996 | Roy Lassiter
|
Tampa Bay Mutiny | 58 | Roy Lassiter
|
Tampa Bay Mutiny | 27 |