Revolution's Carles Gil Wins 2021 MLS MVP Award

The New England Revolution won't lift MLS Cup, but their star playmaker ends 2021 by taking home the league's top individual honor.

Carles Gil was named league MVP on Tuesday following a four-goal, 18-assist campaign that led the Revolution to the best regular season in league history and the Supporters' Shield. Gil won the vote in a landslide, taking in 52% of the vote conducted by media, players and club officials. Nashville SC's Hany Mukhtar finished a distant second (11.8%), followed by Seattle's João Paulo (4.9%), Sporting Kansas City's Daniel Salloi (4.73%) and league Golden Boot winner and NYCFC star Taty Castellanos (3.87%).

Gil, who also won the league's Comeback Player of the Year after missing most of the 2020 season with a heel injury, joins Bruce Arena (Coach of the Year) and Matt Turner (Goalkeeper of the Year) as individuals from the Revs to take home awards. Elsewhere across the league, Nashville's Walker Zimmerman won Defender of the Year for a second straight season and LAFC's Cristian Arango won Newcomer of the Year, while FC Dallas's Ricardo Pepi was named the league's best young player, narrowly edging the Revolution's Tajon Buchanan.

Gil's 18 assists were tops in the league, and the Revs can count on the 29-year-old Spaniard being around for a while. He signed an extension through 2024 in May. Gil is the Revolution's first league MVP since 2005, when Taylor Twellman won it.

Despite their success all season long, Gil and the Revolution will be watching MLS Cup as spectators, as Portland and NYCFC duel for the league's top honors. The Revolution fell to NYCFC in penalty kicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.