Carlos Vela's last dance? Dominant Mexico star may be saying goodbye to LAFC, but not before one last shot at MLS Cup glory

The world has known about Vela for almost two decades. It's been 18 years since he led Mexico to the Under-17 World Cup crown, which he followed up by signing with Arsenal. His career with the Gunners never quite got going, though. After loans to Salamanca and Osasuna, he played a small role for the club for three-and-a-half seasons, scoring 11 goals in 64 games.

Yet, in North America, he remained one of the region's best-known players, appearing alongside Landon Donovan and Kaka on the cover of FIFA 11. Vela truly felt like a rising star, one that, like Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez at Manchester United, could define a new era of Mexican soccer. It never quite happened that way, though.

Following the 2010 World Cup, Vela and teammate Efrain Juarez would be suspended for six months for their involvement in a party. After his suspension, Vela briefly returned, but eventually took himself out of the picture. He refused a call-up for the 2012 Olympics and declined to play in the World Cup qualifiers that followed. In 2014, then-coach Miguel Herrera flew to Spain to convince Vela to return for the upcoming World Cup; Vela declined.

He did return to the Mexico national team in 2014, continuing to establish himself all the way through the 2018 World Cup. At club level, meanwhile, he'd found something of a home at Real Sociedad, having put any issues behind them to truly make his way in Europe.

"It was a hard moment. At 17 years old, you move from Cancun to London, you're excited for that but it's a big change," Vela told GOAL in 2020. "When you're not mature, you have more problems, more troubles. Your head isn't ready to be at one of the biggest clubs in the world. That part was difficult for me. But, honestly, I'm proud to have Arsenal as part of my career. I had good things there. 

"After that, my life changed. I was able to get more experienced, more mature. I'm a better player because of it, because you have to have bad moments to improve, to work more. It makes you say, 'I don't want to be back in that bad moment'."

As it turns out, the best years of Vela's career would be played out in the United States as he joined an ambitious project to become the face of a franchise.

When LAFC arrived in MLS, they promised to change the game, and Vela was their first step towards doing so. In August 2017, it was announced that he would be the club's first Designated Player, and the signing was met with intrigue.

What kind of player would LAFC be getting? Would Vela, who has famously said he's more of a basketball fan than a soccer fan, take life in LA seriously? Given the failures of previous superstars with half-hearted levels of commitment, could LAFC trust a player with Vela's reputation to care enough?

The Mexican star answered those questions almost immediately. From the start, Vela made it clear that he was in the U.S. to dominate. He provided an assist in his debut, teeing up Diego Rossi, before scoring one week later against Real Salt Lake. By the summer, he was voted the MLS All-Star team captain, and by the end of the year, he was named to the MLS Best XI.

When all was said and done, Vela scored 15 goals in his debut season, but as its turned out, that was just the beginning.

Prior to the 2019 season, there were rumors that Barcelona were ready to swoop for Vela. It seems the Catalans were onto something, as that season was the one where he went truly supernova.

Throughout a Supporters' Shield-winning campaign, Vela shattered the MLS record for goals that was set just one year prior by Josef Martinez. After seeing the Venezuelan score 31 in 34 games for Atlanta United, Vela went out and scored 34 goals in 31, adding 15 assists for good measure. That combined tally didn't just break Martinez's record, but also Sebastian Giovinco's mark for most goal contributions in a single season.

It's the single-most dominant run in MLS history, and one that may not be matched for quite some time, even with Lionel Messi now in the picture. Vela was, obviously, recognized as 2019 MLS MVP for his efforts after a season that, just two years into his MLS career, solidified his spot among the league's all-time greats.

"You are never ready for that kind of spotlight, but when you're here and you see how sports are, how life is being in one of the biggest cities in the world, you have to be like that," Vela told GOAL. "You have to take more responsibility and show something different. When you are there with the best and when you are the best, you have to be there and show how good you are and try and bring something to the people. With that part, I feel really comfortable living here and playing here. I want to be the best every day."

Through just two seasons Vela had scored 38 MLS goals, and 43 in all competitions. He also had a trophy, too, in the Supporters' Shield. With Vela leading the charge, LAFC, almost immediately, became one of the league's elite team. However, there was still something missing: an MLS Cup.

For all of LAFC's success, and for all of Vela's, they needed an MLS Cup. The Mexican's resume had just about everything else, but he'd need that big trophy at the end to truly cement his legacy.

"The goal is to be the best and to be the best you need to continuously win, and win titles," Vela told GOAL in 2021. "It’s the next step for us at LAFC, for my career: to say we’ve won, and then to continue to win." In 2022, Vela got his hands on that trophy, and did so after the best MLS game ever played.

The 2022 MLS Cup match will forever be remembered for Gareth Bale's late heroics. A bit-part player for the entirety of his LAFC stay, Bale came up big when his side needed him most, scoring an epic, stoppage-time header to keep his team alive.

Vela was the player that made way for Bale late on with LAFC needing a miracle, and at the time of his substution, the Mexican's fingerprints were all over the game. He'd assisted LAFC's opener from a corner, ensuring his presence was felt in the final. It was Vela's third assist in as many playoff games and, after an epic penalty shootout, Vela got his hands on the trophy he'd been eyeing for the previous five years.

Half a decade after his arrival, Vela had helped LAFC reach the promised land. He'd exceeded every expectation and scored more goals than anyone could imagine. He'd won them the big trophy as well as several others along the way, establishing himself as the club's first true icon and a legitimately legendary figure in MLS. Now, one year later, Vela and LAFC have the chance to do something even more special: to do it all over again.

On Saturday, LAFC will be looking for more history, as they aim to become the first team to win back-to-back MLS Cups since the rival LA Galaxy did so over a decade ago. In a modern MLS that is designed for parity, going back-to-back is almost an impossibility, yet here Vela and LAFC are.

The Mexican will almost certainly start as his side visit the Columbus Crew in the MLS Cup final. He is, however, no longer LAFC's talisman, no longer the club's go-to superstar. That role now belongs to his teammate, Denis Bouanga, who has taken on primary goalscoring responsibilities in 2023.

LAFC, in truth, are back in this position partially because they have handled the handoff of superstars so well. As Vela has slowed down, scoring 12 goals in 2022 and nine in 2023, Bouanga has ramped up, winning the Golden Boot with 20 goals in MLS play and 37 for the club in all competitions this season

But make no mistake: Vela is still key to everything LAFC does. He's still the club's captain and still a player that, on his day, can singlehandedly win LAFC any game.

This historic run could come to an end on Saturday though, as Vela may just be staring down his final match in the black and gold. His contract expires at the end of the season and, at this moment, there's no certainty what happens beyond Saturday's finale.

“With my contract, Saturday is the only thing I know for sure because it's what is there on the paper,” Vela told reporters on Thursday. “After that, well, everybody knows. First, I am happy in LA and I am happy in this team. But this job is a business. We know sometimes it's not everything the way you want it. We are two different sides. We have to be on the same page if this can work. We will see in the end."

For most within and around the LAFC team, it's hard to put into words what Vela means to the group. There's that old cliche that a player is part of the furniture at their club, but in Vela's case, it fits. He's certainly decorated plenty at BMO Stadium, adding plenty of silverware to the club's trophy case.

The truth is that before Vela, there was no LAFC. That's not hyperbole; that's a fact. The Mexican star was the first face of the franchise, the first superstar in club history. He's as important to LAFC as any player to any club in the world. Without him, LAFC wouldn't be the powerhouse we know it as today.

"Carlos, when you think about LAFC, you think about him," said goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau. "He's the one that drives the team, everybody follows him. He's the first leader since day one." Added Ilie Sanchez: "He sets the tone for the team, for the fans, for the atmosphere here at the stadium and we all follow him."

It's not just players like Crepeau and Sanchez who have fallen in line to let Vela lead the charge. No, even legendary stars, true icons of the game, have come to understand what Vela means to this club and this city.

“He represents very well LAFC and he's very generous and not selfish in everything," said Italy legend and LAFC defender Giorgio Chiellini, who himself could be playing for the final time in hi illustrious career on Saturday. "He doesn't need to be the star or to own the shine of everything like a No.10 and captain and history of this club maybe could be. This is a really fantastic [quality] that I discovered in him. He really takes care of the club."

Head coach Steve Cherundolo isn't even entertaining the thought of Vela leaving. He can't stand to think about it until after, potentially, seeing Vela lead LAFC to glory one last time. "I am shelving my feelings and emotions until after the MLS Cup final," he said. "Knowing Carlos, and all the players on our team, they would do the same in order to raise a trophy."

As things stand, it appears that all involved hope that this isn't it. Vela has made it clear that he's happy in LA, and the club has made it seem like they'd want to bring him back.

Vela's future could end up being decided, at least partially, in a New York board room. With there still some mystery regarding what next season's roster rules will look like, Vela's status could be determined by what MLS spending rules are going forward.

On his current contract, though, LAFC almost certainly can't afford to bring him back. And, given his ability and reputation, Vela can't be expected to play on the cheap. That's where things are heading into Saturday, a match that, win or lose, could be it for the 34-year-old.

“I'm not thinking about that," he said. "I'm thinking about the final and the big challenge we have to win the trophy and I’m focusing on that. After that, we will see. We will have time to talk and see if something works. If we don't, everybody will be on their way and we will have good memories and good history together. But life is like that. When one door is closed, another one opens. And so in the end, it is not the end of the world. The only thing that is really important and is the most important for me right now is Saturday.”

Regardless of what happens in Columbus, Vela's reputation in Los Angeles and MLS circles won't change. Gone are the days when he was doubted and criticized. Five years after he arrived into the United States, his legacy is secure.

Win or lose, new contract or no new contract, Vela is an iconic figure in MLS history. He's LAFC's legend, a record-breaker, an MLS Cup champion. And if this is the last dance, all who watch it will have enjoyed the ride given to them by a player who redefined dominance in American soccer.