[Official] "Son Heung-min and New History" Buanga Re-signs with LAFC... I'll play until 2030, at the most

*This content was translated by AI.

Along with Son Heung-min (34), Dnie Buanga (32, Gabon), who set a new record for consecutive goals in the Major League Soccer (MLS) of the U.S. professional football, has extended his contract with Los Angeles FC.

LAFC signed a contract with Buanga for Designated Player (DP) by 2028 on the 26th (Korea Standard Time). The extension option is included until the 2029-2030 season, he announced. Buanga, who moved to LAFC in August 2022, will wear LAFC uniforms until June 2030 when the option is activated.

Despite many recent transfer rumors, Buanga, who eventually decided to accompany LAFC, said, "I appreciate the trust the club has shown me," adding, "From the beginning, LA and my family were as comfortable as home." It is an honor to represent this club and its fans whenever they wear uniforms. We will continue to develop and win more trophies to help the club leap to a higher place," he said.

Buanga is a striker who played as the team's ace before joining Son Heung-min. In the 2023 season, his first full season, he scored 20 goals and seven assists in 31 regular league games, and was also nominated for MLS Most Valuable Player (MVP) along with the MLS top scorer. He played in 48 games, including the Cup, and accumulated 38 goals and 14 assists.

In the 2024 season, he played in 32 games and scored 20 goals and 11 assists to be selected as MLS' best 11, and scored a career-high 24 goals last season when Son Heung-min joined in the middle. For the first time in MLS history, he has scored more than 20 goals in three consecutive seasons.

In particular, Son Heung-min's joining has created a real synergy effect. He showed his best chemistry right after joining Son Heung-min, and was called the so-called "Heungbu Duo" among domestic fans. Thanks to the dispersed checks, the toes of the two were sharper.

Since joining Son Heung-min, the two have scored 25 goals and eight assists, including the playoffs. Since the end of August, Son Heung-min or Buanga has been responsible for 18 team goals and has also achieved a new MLS record in this category. As a result, Son Heung-min and Buanga even performed their own "joint ceremony." LAFC also highlighted, "Since joining superstar striker Son Heung-min, the two players have been reborn as the most threatening combination of attacks in the team."

Buanga has continued its steep rise this season, scoring a hat trick in the first match of the 2026 North American Caribbean Football Confederation (CONCACAF) Champions Cup against Real España (Honduras), which was also the first match of the season, and scoring one goal and one assist in the MLS opener against Inter Miami, where Lionel Messi belongs. MLS experts also cite Buanga as a strong candidate for this season's top scorer along with Son Heung-min and Messi.

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*This content was translated by AI.