D.C. United Forward Tai Baribo Voted MLS Player of the Matchday Presented by Michelob ULTRA for Matchday 9

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 23, 2026) - D.C. United forward Tai Baribo was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob ULTRA for Matchday 9 of the 2026 MLS season.

Baribo scored a hat trick as part of D.C. United’s comeback from 3-1 down to draw 4-4 against Red Bull New York on the road at Sports Illustrated Stadium (Watch Highlights From His Performance Here). The hat trick was Baribo’s third since the start of 2024, becoming just the third MLS player to do this alongside Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge (four) and LAFC’s Denis Bouanga. Baribo joined D.C. during the winter and has already scored six goals in his first eight appearances with the club. Baribo’s six goals are tied for the fifth-most in MLS this season and he is the fourth player with a hat trick in 2026. The Israeli international becomes the first D.C. United player to score a hat trick since Christian Benteke did so on May 11, 2024 against Atlanta United. Thanks to Baribo’s performance, D.C. scored at least four goals on the road for the second time in the last four seasons, previously doing so on October 2, 2024.

After falling behind 2-0 in the first half, Baribo pulled a goal back when he got on the end of a cross from Jackson Hopkins and slammed his finish into the net in the 37th minute (Watch Here). With the scoreline at 3-2 in the second half, D.C.’s new No. 9 slipped past the Red Bull defense and curled a goal into the side netting to tie the match (Watch Here). Red Bull New York took the lead again, but Baribo provided the crucial equalizer and completed his hat trick 10 minutes from the final whistle with a creative chested finish from short range to level the match (Watch Here).

Baribo earns MLS Player of the Matchday honors for the fourth time in his career with his last coming after his performance on Matchday 13 of 2025. His four Player of the Matchday awards since the start of 2024 are the second-most in MLS, trailing only Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi (14).

D.C. United and Baribo return to action on Saturday when they host Orlando City SC at Audi Field (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS 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. 

2026 MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob ULTRA Winners

Matchday 1: Julian Hall - Red Bull New York

Matchday 2: Lionel Messi - Inter Miami CF

Matchday 3: Wiki Carmona - CF Montréal

Matchday 4: Petar Musa - FC Dallas

Matchday 5: Sam Surridge - Nashville SC

Matchday 6: Denis Bouanga - LAFC

Matchday 7: Rafael Navarro - Colorado Rapids

Matchday 8: Lionel Messi - Inter Miami CF

Matchday 9: Tai Baribo - D.C. United