NEW YORK (Thursday, May 14, 2026) – Red Bull New York forward Julian Hall was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday for Matchday 13 of the 2026 MLS season.
At 18 years and 50 days old, Hall became the youngest player in MLS history to score a regular-season hat trick, contributing all three goals in Red Bull New York’s 3-2 home victory against the Columbus Crew (Watch Highlights From His Performance Here). Hall eclipsed former FC Dallas forward Ricardo Pepi (18 years, 196 days) for the youngest player to score three goals in a game. Hall now has nine goals in the regular season and is tied for fourth in the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi standings. With 12 goals in his MLS career, Hall is already tied for the fifth-most goals scored by a teenager, alongside Freddy Adu and Danny Mwanga. The Manhattan, N.Y. native is also tied for the league lead with three game-winning goals and has scored the game-winning strike in 60% of Red Bulls’ victories this season.
Hall opened the scoring just seven minutes into the match when he lunged at a Cade Cowell cross and tapped it home from close range (Watch Here). The same duo connected again as Cowell fed Hall with a rapid cross that the 18-year-old slotted in to make it a 2-1 Red Bull advantage in the 40th minute (Watch Here). After Columbus tied the match in the second half, Hall completed his hat trick in the 79th minute when he latched on to a bouncing ball in the box and poked home the winner for the 3-2 victory (Watch Here).
Hall earns the honor for the second time this season after winning it on Matchday 1, and the 18-year-old joins Lionel Messi as the only player with multiple victories. At 18 years and 51 days old, Hall is the second-youngest player in MLS history to win the award twice, behind only Freddy Adu in 2005 (16 years and 128 days old).
Next up for Hall and Red Bull New York is a Hudson River Derby showdown against New York City FC at Sports Illustrated Stadium on Saturday, May 16 (7:30 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.
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