Lionel Messi may be the face of MLS, but he’s not leading in every category. Surprisingly, DC United’s Christian Benteke tops the league in shots on goal, surpassing the Argentine superstar.
Lionel Messi‘s star power shines brightly in MLS as the standard-bearer for Inter Miami, but surprisingly there are aspects of the game where he doesn’t reign supreme. The ranking that measures effectiveness in shots on goal reveals a surprise for many fans: Christian Benteke, forward for DC United, leads this important indicator and surpasses the Argentine star.
Surprisingly, Christian Benteke owns this shots-on-goal statistic with a considerable difference. The Belgian forward has accumulated 21 shots between the three posts, while Lionel Messi registers 15 effective attempts, according to the numbers published by MLS. While not all of those attempts end in scores, it does account for the scoring instinct that the DC United attacker has.
Despite what Inter Miami’s number 10 generates, his figures place him behind the Belgian in this area, and in fact in the 2024 season he was crowned top scorer in MLS with 23 goals. In the current tournament, he has already scored five goals, numbers that position him as an absolute reference for his team’s attack.
The Belgian’s career took off at Aston Villa, where he excelled for four consecutive seasons. His performance catapulted him to Liverpool as a star signing, although his adaptation was cut short by a knee injury. After that stumble, he spent several years at Crystal Palace with noticeable ups and downs in his game.
His arrival at DC United marked a soccer renaissance for Benteke, with a change of scenery that allowed him to regain his best soccer version. His physical power and ability to impose himself in the rival area were key for him to find in the American league the perfect scenario to demonstrate his potential, with special focus on that scoring facet that he shares with stars of the stature of Messi.
MLS leaders in shots on goal
The MLS ranking reflects an even competition between several figures, although Christian Benteke manages to stand out above the rest. Lionel Messi appears on the second step along with other talents who maintain a high level in the current season. The list is completed as follows:
Christian Benteke (DC United): 21 Lionel Messi (Inter Miami): 15 Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC): 15 Evander (FC Cincinnati): 14 Alonso Martínez (New York City FC): 14 Josef Martínez (San José Earthquakes): 14 Kevin Yeboah (Minnesota United FC): 14 Luca Orellano (FC Cincinnati): 14
