The Vancouver Whitecaps are riding high after a stellar 2025 season, marked by individual accolades and promising team performance [1, 5]. Meanwhile, across the league, familiar names dominate the salary charts, and new records are being set [3, 4].
Blackmon's Breakout Season
Vancouver Whitecaps centerback Tristan Blackmon has been named the 2025 Major League Soccer Defender of the Year [1]. The U.S. international's commanding presence anchored a Whitecaps defense that conceded just 38 goals during the regular season, the second-best mark in the league [1]. At 29 years old, Blackmon's award recognizes what is described as an unexpected breakout campaign [1]. Analyst Kaylyn Kyle has also highlighted the "amazing" Vancouver Whitecaps as a team to watch for MLS success [5]. Their recent form saw them enter a match against FC Dallas as the No. 5 club in MLS [6].
Messi's Reign and Muller's Record
Lionel Messi continues to lead the league in salary [2, 3]. However, Thomas Muller has recently surpassed one of Messi's records in record time [4]. The details of the record broken were not specified. Other top earners in the league include Toronto FC midfielder Jose Cifuentes, who earns $1.405 million, second only to Mihailovic [2]. Notably, New England's Matt Turner is the highest-paid goalkeeper at $1.943 million [2]. As for other goalkeepers, Vancouver Whitecaps' Crepeau earns $648,333, while Minnesota's Dayne St. Clair makes $631,875 [2].
TL;DR
- Tristan Blackmon of the Vancouver Whitecaps has been named the 2025 MLS Defender of the Year [1].
- Lionel Messi remains the highest-paid player in MLS, while Thomas Muller recently broke one of his records [3, 4].
- The Vancouver Whitecaps' strong defensive record was a key factor in Blackmon's award [1].
- Analyst Kaylyn Kyle has praised the Vancouver Whitecaps and their potential for MLS success [5].