NEW YORK (Monday, February 23, 2026) – Red Bull New York forward Julian Hall was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday for Matchday 1 of the 2026 MLS season.
In the first match under new head coach Michael Bradley, Hall started and scored both goals as part of the club’s 2-1 road victory over Orlando City SC. At 17 years and 334 days old on Saturday night, Hall became the youngest player in MLS history to score multiple goals in his club’s opening game of the season. The match marked Hall’s fifth career regular-season start for Red Bull and saw him produce his first game-winning goal in MLS action. Hall was one of three players aged 17 or younger – Adri Mehmeti (16) and Matthew Dos Santos (17) – to start for New York on Matchday 1, which marked the first time three players aged 17 or younger started a Matchday 1 match in MLS history. Mehmeti provided the primary assist on Hall’s second goal, marking the first time in league history that a player 17 or younger recorded the primary assist on a goal scored by a player who was also 17 or younger.
Hall opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Emil Forsberg evaded the Orlando City ‘keeper and squared a pass to the 17-year-old, who tapped in his finish from close range. In the 40th minute, New York doubled their lead as Mehmeti shielded a defender and fired a cross to Hall, who placed his right-footed finish into the roof of the net.
Hall is the first Red Bull player to be named MLS Player of the Matchday since Emil Forsberg earned the honor on Matchday 12 of 2025. At 17 years and 336 days old today, Hall is the sixth-youngest player to win the award in MLS history behind Freddy Adu (15 years, 342 days), Santino Quaranta (16 years, 275 days), Cade Cowell (17 years, 201 days), Alphonso Davies (17 years, 222 days), and Jozy Altidore (17 years, 288 days).
Red Bull will look to make it two wins in a row to start the season with their home opener against the New England Revolution on Saturday, February 28 (2:30 p.m. ET, MLS on 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.
