Tai Baribo Voted MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra for Matchday 2

Philadelphia Union forward Tai Baribo was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra for Matchday 2 of the 2025 MLS season.

Baribo produced his second career MLS hat trick and was the first to do so this regular season in the Union’s 4-1 home victory over FC Cincinnati on Saturday night. After scoring a pair of goals in the club’s opener, Baribo now leads MLS with five goals through two matches and became the fourth player in league history to record at least five goals in a club’s first two matches, joining Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández (2021), Ayo Akinola (2020), & Brian Ching (2006). The Israeli international also became the fifth player in league history and the first in Union history to score multiple goals in each of his first two games of a season. The Union have opened the season with consecutive wins for the first time since 2011 and lead MLS with eight goals scored this season.

Baribo opened the scoring just six minutes into the match when he latched on to Kai Wagner’s cross and tapped home his finish for a 1-0 lead. The forward doubled his tally in the 30th minute as Dániel Gazdag feinted in the 18-yard-box and found a wide open Baribo for an easy finish. The duo connected once again after halftime as Gazdag found Baribo at the back post, who stayed onside and completed his hat trick in the 52nd minute.

This is the second time Baribo has been named MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra after receiving the honor last season for his performance on Matchday 27. Baribo is the fourth player in Union history to earn the honor multiple times, joining Julián Carranza (4), Dániel Gazdag (3), and Sébastien Le Toux (2).

The Union will look to keep their early-season momentum going as it travels to Gillette Stadium to face the New England Revolution on Saturday, March 8 (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).

The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra 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.