Nashville SC: Hany Mukhtar named Player of the Matchday | OneFootball

By Cal Meachem

Player of the Matchday 14: Hany Mukhtar

Hany Mukhtar stole the show with an extraordinary hat trick to send Nashville SC to the top of the Supporters' Shield standings and earn MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob ULTRA honors for Matchday 14.

Mukhtar scored all three of Nashville’s goals in their 3-2 victory against LAFC on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire.

The hat trick was the fifth of Mukhtar’s regular-season career, becoming the seventh player in league history to accomplish that feat. All five of Mukhtar’s hat tricks have come at home, joining Josef Martínez as the only players in MLS history with five or more hat tricks in home games. 

Mukhtar also became the first player in club history to eclipse 100 goals across all competitions. Two of his goals in the match came from direct free kicks, making him just the eighth player since MLS began tracking the statistic in 2003 to accomplish that feat.

With their win over LAFC, Nashville now lead the the Supporters’ Shield race (30 points; 9W-1L-3D) and are the only club in the 2026 regular season not to lose a game at home.

This is Mukhtar's ninth MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob ULTRA honor and the first since Matchday 19 of 2023. His nine honors are tied for the eighth-most in MLS history and are the second-most among active players (Lionel Messi, 14).

Mukhtar and Nashville SC will play their final game before the 2026 FIFA World Cup pause when they host New York City FC on Saturday (8:30 pm ET | Apple TV).

The MLS Player of the Matchday is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while an Instagram fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.

WATCH: Hany Mukhtar sores MUST-SEE hat trick for Nashville SC