LAFC Signs Forward Denis Bouanga to Multi-Year Contract Extension
MLS Los Angeles FC

LAFC Signs Forward Denis Bouanga to Multi-Year Contract Extension

Published on February 25, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Los Angeles FC News Release


LAFC announced today that the club has re-signed forward Denis Bouanga to a contract extension as a Designated Player through 2028, with an option through the 2029-30 season.

"At this club, performance matters," said LAFC Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington. "Denis has delivered at an elite level with historic consistency since the day he arrived, and he has helped us win multiple trophies. This new contract reflects that. We're proud of what he's accomplished here and are motivated to continue building on that success together."

Bouanga, 31, joined LAFC as a Designated Player on August 5, 2022, after three seasons with AS St. Etienne in France's Ligue 1, where he registered 26 goals and 13 assists in 7,198 minutes. The forward quickly became a marquee player for LAFC, scoring a game-winning stoppage-time goal in Portland to secure the 2022 Supporters' Shield for the Black & Gold. He added two more goals in the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs, helping lead LAFC to the 2022 MLS Cup trophy.

"I'm grateful to LAFC for the trust they've shown in me," said Bouanga. "From the beginning, my family and I have felt at home in Los Angeles. It's an honor to represent this club and our supporters every time I put on the jersey. I believe in what we are building here, and I'm motivated to keep improving, winning more trophies, and helping this club reach even higher."

During his first full season with the club in 2023, Bouanga delivered one of the most dominant individual campaigns in LAFC history, establishing himself as one of the league's elite attacking talents. He finished as a finalist for MLS MVP, was selected as a MLS All-Star, and won the 2023 MLS Golden Boot after scoring 20 goals with seven assists in 31 regular-season appearances, becoming the third player in club history to claim the league's top scorer honor, joining Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi.

Across all competitions in 2023, Bouanga made 48 appearances, scoring a club-record-tying 38 goals - matching Vela's 2019 mark - while adding 14 assists. His standout year included hat tricks in MLS regular-season play, the Concacaf Champions League, and Leagues Cup, where he ranked third in the tournament with six goals; feats that earned him selections to both the Concacaf Champions League Best XI and MLS Best XI, further cementing his historic impact on the club.

In 2024, he made 32 regular-season appearances (30 starts), totaling 20 goals and 11 assists in 2,755 minutes. He was selected as a MLS All-Star for the second consecutive year and named to the MLS Best XI while finishing as the league's Golden Boot co-runner-up. He became just the third player in club history to reach 40 or more regular-season goals and was again a driving force in Leagues Cup play, recording six goals and three assists across seven matches while leading the tournament in total shots and tying for most shots on target.

This past season, Bouanga became the club's all-time leading goal scorer with 94 goals in 144 games, moving him past the previous record held by Vela, who had 93 goals in 186 games. With his career-high 24 regular-season goals in 2025, Bouanga also became the second player in LAFC history with 10 or more goals in three consecutive seasons (Diego Rossi 2018-2020). His historic campaign also saw him become the first player in MLS history to register three straight seasons with 20 or more goals. He was named to his third consecutive MLS All-Star team and was selected to the MLS Best XI for a third consecutive year while finishing as a finalist for the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award. In total, Bouanga has made 152 appearances for LAFC, logging 101 goals with 42 assists in 12,967 minutes across all competitions.

After the arrival of superstar forward Son Heung-Min, the duo teamed up to become one of the most lethal pairings in the game. Between the two, they accounted for 25 goals and eight assists (including playoffs) after Son joined the club. Between late August and early October, Son and Bouanga combined to score 18 straight goals for LAFC, setting a new MLS record for most consecutive goals scored by two teammates. The pair made LAFC the first club in MLS history to have a player record a hat trick in three consecutive games.

Bouanga debuted for the Gabon national team in January 2017 and scored his first international goal for his country on March 24, 2017, in a friendly against Guinea. Since then, he has made 53 appearances (52 starts) overall with 17 goals, including a hat trick in Gabon's 4-0 win over Seychelles on September 3, 2025, during a World Cup qualifying match.

TRANSACTION: LAFC re-signs forward Denis Bouanga to a contract extension as a Designated Player through 2028, with an option through the 2029-30 season.

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Major League Soccer Stories from February 25, 2026


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