Denis Bouanga! LAFC superstar makes history with HAT TRICK | OneFootball

By MLSsoccer staff

WATCH: Denis Bouanga scores historic hat trick for LAFC

LAFC superstar Denis Bouanga made history on Sunday night, becoming the first player in league history to score at least 20 goals in three consecutive seasons.

Bouanga reached that milestone in stunning fashion, scoring a hat trick in a 4-1 rout of Real Salt Lake at BMO Stadium.

The Gabon international tallied in first-half stoppage time (45+1') when combining with Son Heung-Min, then netted a second-half brace to put the game out of reach (73', 87').

“I feel very good right now and we continue on a very good path," Bouanga said postgame. "I try to be decisive in every game, which could be scoring a goal or passing.”

Golden Boot charge

The three-time MLS All-Star is now firmly in the Golden Boot presented by Audi race, equaling Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi with 22 goals scored.

Messi is narrowly ahead on the first tiebreaker (assists), dishing out 12 helpers compared to Bouanga's eight. They're trailed by Nashville SC striker Sam Surridge, who has 21 goals.

"Winning the Golden Boot, of course, is a goal," Bouanga said. "But it is important to stay focused every game and to be decisive for my team, which is scoring a goal or giving an assist."

Bouanga won the Golden Boot in 2023, scoring 20 goals during his first full season in Black & Gold. He also hit the 20-goal mark in 2024, finishing behind champion Christian Benteke (D.C. United).

LAFC's Denis Bouanga enters a different stratosphere

Game-changing form

Bouanga has scored in four straight games to ascend the scoring charts, firing off a hat trick in two of his last three matches.

The perennial Best XI contender's other hat trick came in a recent 4-2 win at the San Jose Earthquakes.

Along the way, Bouanga has shown improved chemistry with Son. The South Korean superstar arrived in early August from Tottenham Hotspur on an MLS-record deal.

"Credit to Denis because he works hard to help the team and score a lot of goals," Son said of his new teammate.

"It's not random. It’s not lucky. He works really hard to always be in the positions scoring goals, and we should appreciate [him] for that."

WATCH: Denis Bouanga nets hat trick in LAFC win at SJ

Elite crowd: 20+ goals in MLS history

Bouanga joined an elite group in the process, becoming the sixth player with multiple 20-goal seasons in MLS history:

Bouanga's latest milestone comes four days after he passed club legend Carlos Vela as LAFC's all-time leading goalscorer, tallying 1g/1a in a 4-1 win at RSL.

He now has 97 goals in 145 matches (all competitions) with the Black & Gold, putting the 100-goal mark within reach before season's end.

LAFC's high-octane attack, led by Bouanga and Son, returns to action on Saturday at St. Louis CITY SC (8:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).