10 Players With the Most Penalty-Kick Goals in MLS History [Ranked]

There is perhaps no technical skill that appeals more to attacking players than the penalty — although some players with a defensive profile have made it their specialty. While many believe that scoring a goal in a situation where the striker is one-on-one with the opposing goalkeeper is a simple task, the reality is quite different.

Taking a penalty requires a great deal of physical and mental skill, as well as a certain amount of luck. But that’s not the most important factor. And like most of the world’s major leagues, MLS
has also seen its pitches trodden by some truly cold-blooded penalty-takers. In this article, GIVEMESPORT ranks the top 10 penalty-takers in the history of North America’s elite soccer league.

11

Federico Higuain

19 penalty-kick goals in 27 attempts

• MLS Appearances: 232
• Clubs: Columbus Crew, D.C. United, Inter Miami
• Position: Attacking midfielder

With a decade of Major League Soccer under his belt, Federico Higuain has made his way into our rankings. During his North American journey, the Argentine served in the colors of DC United
and Inter Miami CF
, but it was with Columbus Crew SC
that he made his mark — and all of his penalties. 19, to be precise, most of them at home (14).

A Working Team legend, the attacking midfielder is still the sixth most capped player (210 appearances), the fourth top scorer (59 goals) and the all-time best decisive passer (51 assists). Certainly the Higuain family’s greatest success story on the continent.

10

Nicolas Lodeiro

19 penalty-kick goals in 20 attemtps

• MLS Appearances: 191
• Clubs: Seattle Sounders FC, Orlando City SC
• Position: Attacking midfielder

An historic figure for the Seattle Sounders
, of which he is the all-time leading assist provider, Nicolas Lodeiro has also scored 19 goals from the penalty spot since the start of his MLS career — in 2016. And like Higuain, all have come in the colors of one and the same club, although the Uruguayan currently plies his trade with Orlando City SC
.

Among his favourite victims on the pitch are Colorado Rapids
and Vancouver Whitecaps
, against whom he has found the back of the net on three occasions since making his top flight debut. A genuine specialist in the exercise, the attacking midfielder has missed just three of his 32 attempts in his career.

9

Jeff Cunningham

20 penalty-kick goals in 24 attempts

• MLS Appearances: 365
• Clubs: Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake, Toronto FC, FC Dallas
• Position: Forward

Regarded as one of the greatest strikers in MLS history, Jeff Cunningham was also adept at taking penalties. It was a skill that helped him become the top scorer in the North American league — a record he would relinquish three years later to one of his international team-mates.

It all happened in 2011, when the Columbus Crew SC
, where he was playing at the time, suffered a heavy 6-2 defeat at the Sounders just three minutes after he came on. A paradoxical anecdote, given that it was one of the heaviest defeats suffered by the Crew since 1996, when they made their MLS debut.

8

Carlos Vela

20 penalty-kick goals in 26 attempts

• MLS Appearances: 152
• Club: LAFC
• Position: Forward

Carlos Vela has left his mark on MLS in many ways. The top scorer in Los Angeles FC
‘s history, the Mexican is also one of the greatest South American players to have played in the league since its inauguration in 1996. A player with a host of records, including the most goals scored in a single MLS season (34 in 2019), which penalty kicks have played a large part in establishing.

Over the course of this crazy year, the former Real Sociedad striker converted no fewer than nine in the space of 34 games. A tally that could have been even more impressive had he managed to emerge victorious from his duels with Bill Hamid (D.C. United) and Jesse Gonzalez ( FC Dallas
), both of whom came up against him that year.

7

Diego Valeri

22 penalty-kick goals in 28 attempts

• MLS Appearances: 262
• Club: Portland Timbers
• Position: Attacking midfielder

The attacking midfielders definitely have the upper hand in this ranking. Diego Valeri is the latest example. The all-time top scorer and all-time top assist provider for the Portland Timbers
, for whom he is also the second most capped player (309 appearances), the former Argentina international (three caps) has scored 22 of his 100 goals for the Green and Whites from the penalty spot.

It is a skill he has particularly excelled at during matches versus Houston Dynamo
, a club against whom he has scored four times in his career, including two in the same match to help his team to victory in 2016.

6

Josef Martinez

22 penalty-kick goals in 24 attempts

• MLS Appearances: 184
• Clubs: Atlanta United, Inter Miami, CF Montreal
• Position: Forward

Josef Martinez is the second highest-ranked active player in the top 10. Having also become one of the great legends of the North American championship over the years, the Venezuelan has also established himself as a true specialist in the exercise. That has not stopped him from making a huge miss in 2019, when he tried to imitate Jorginho’s kicking technique.

Nevertheless, having scored 22 penalties in 161 MLS games, he took advantage of his strike against the NY Red Bulls
last July to move closer to the top of the table. It now remains to be seen whether he will be able to make the step-up, given that his contract with CF Montreal
expires in December.

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5

Preki

23 penalty-kick goals in 30 attempts

• MLS Appearances: 242
• Clubs: Kansas City Wizards, Miami Fusion
• Position: Midfielder

The only two-time winner of the MLS MVP award, Preki is undoubtedly one of the best players ever to set foot in the top flight. The USA international, who took part in the inaugural season of the new North American championship, spent almost all of his 10 years with Sporting Kansas City
(formerly Kansas City Wizards).

At Sporting Kansas City, he scored 21 of his 23 goals from the penalty spot, the last two coming during his spell with the Miami Fusion between 2001 and 2002. An impressive total that represents almost a third of his MLS goal tally, which had risen to 79 by the time the midfielder decided to hang up his boots.

4

Daniel Gazdag

23 penalty-kick goals in 24 attempts

• MLS Appearances: 119
• Club: Philadelphia Union
• Position: Attacking midfielder

No player in this ranking has a better ratio of games played to goals scored than Daniel Gazdag (0.19). Having joined the Philadelphia Union
in May 2021, the talented Hungarian midfielder quickly established himself as the team’s penalty taker.

A right-foot shot master, the former Honved player has only missed one penalty in his career, in a 2-3 loss to Orlando City SC in the 2024 season. Yet this setback came at the worst possible time, as had Gazdag managed to convert it, it would have ensured his side ended the match with a draw. Not that the Zolos No.10’s confidence was affected.

3

Chris Wondolowski

27 penalty-kick goals in 36 attempts

• MLS Appearances: 413
• Clubs: San Jose Earthquakes, Houston Dynamo
• Position: Striker

The most prolific scorer in MLS history (173 goals) now sits on the third rung of the podium. A striker with finishing skills and technical ability far above average, the seventh player with the highest number of league appearances was capable of scoring from just about any position possible when he was found in the box — or even outside it.

But while the San Jose Earthquakes
legend proved himself a lethal marksman, he also occasionally missed chances from 11 meters out. In fact, his nine missed attempts are more than any other player in this ranking. Just goes to show that even the best players can embrace failure.

2

Landon Donovan

31 penalty-kick goals in 36 attempts

• MLS Appearances: 340
• Clubs: San Jose Earthquakes, Los Angeles Galaxy
• Position: Forward

There are few compelling Major League Soccer rankings in which Landon Donovan’s name does not appear. Today’s ranking is further proof of this. The player many consider to be the greatest ever to have played in North America’s footballing elite stood out for his unfailing versatility. His ability to convert penalties is yet another example.

And if scoring the little white point is difficult enough, doing it twice in the same match is even more so. Or so it seems. After all, Donovan was no stranger to the genre, having scored four penalty doubles in his MLS career during his time at Los Angeles Galaxy
.

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1

Jaime Moreno

44 penalty-kick goals in 52 attempts

• MLS Appearances: 340
• Clubs: D.C. United, MetroStars
• Position: Striker

It would have been surprising not to mention Jaime Moreno in this ranking. The Bolivian legend even tops the list. A goalscorer with exceptional composure and the first player in history to surpass the 100-goal and 100-assist mark in the league, the striker scored 44 penalties (just two missed) during his 14 years in MLS.

These often important goals helped his teams (he also played for the MetroStars in 2003) to victory in 27 different matches. Over the course of his career in North America’s soccer elite, the Santa Cruz de la Sierra native has scored for 12 different teams.

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