FC Cincinnati’s Luciano ‘Lucho’ Acosta Named 2023 Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player

The Argentine midfielder becomes first player in FC Cincinnati history to earn highest individual honor after leading club to first-ever MLS trophy, the Supporters’ Shield

NEW YORK (Monday, November 27, 2023) – Major League Soccer today announced that FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano ‘Lucho’ Acosta has been named the 2023 Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player after leading Cincinnati to the team’s first trophy as an MLS club, the Supporters’ Shield.

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Acosta led MLS with 31 goal contributions in 2023 (17 goals, 14 assists), becoming just the sixth player in league history to record three or more seasons with at least 10 goals and 10 assists. He also became the 14th player in MLS history to record at least 50 goals and 70 assists in their career and the first player to reach the milestone since compatriot Diego Valeri did so in 2019. In addition to helping Cincinnati win the Supporters’ Shield, Acosta’s MVP season powered the club to its second consecutive Audi MLS Cup Playoffs berth and qualified for the Concacaf Champions Cup for the first time in club history.

The Argentine midfielder also earned several individual awards in 2023, as he was named MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire twice (Matchdays 14 and 38) and MLS Player of the Month presented by CELSIUS® Essential Energy in back-to-back months (July and August). He is the first winner of MLS Player of the Month in consecutive months since Josef Martínez (July-August 2019) and now only trails Martínez, Landon Donovan, and Carlos Ruiz (all with six) for most monthly awards in MLS history.

Acosta, who is the first player in FC Cincinnati history to be named Landon Donovan MLS MVP, is the ninth South American-born player to earn the honor and first since Martínez (Atlanta United, 2018). He joins Valeri (Portland Timbers, 2015), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew, 2008), and Christian Gómez (D.C. United, 2006) as the fourth Argentinian in MLS history to win the award. Only the United States (eight) has had more Landon Donovan MLS MVP winners than Argentina since 1996.

No player has produced more goal contributions than Acosta’s 136 (58 goals, 78 assists) since his MLS debut in 2016, and only Nashville SC’s Hany Mukhtar has produced more since the Argentinian made his Cincinnati debut in 2021. His 43 regular-season assists since 2021 are the second-most of any MLS player during that time, and only Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro (80) has more regular-season assists than the Cincinnati playmaker since 2016.

This is the fourth consecutive season that the Landon Donovan MLS MVP winner comes from an Eastern Conference club and the 17th time overall that a player from the Eastern Conference has won the award. FC Cincinnati is the 16th active MLS club and 18th MLS club overall to have a player earn the honor.

Acosta finished ahead of Los Angeles Football Club forward Dénis Bouanga and Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada to take home the award.

The Landon Donovan MLS MVP award has been presented since 1996 to the individual determined by a poll of players, club technical staff, and select media to be the most valuable to his club. Below is a breakdown of the voting results for 2023:

A full list of previous Landon Donovan MLS MVP winners can be found below: