Federico Bernardeschi scored his first MLS hat trick in Toronto FC's 5-1 rout of CF Montréal, earning him Player of the Matchday honors for Matchday 15.
The former Italian international was lights out at BMO Field, striking three times in Rivalry Week presented by Continental Tire action to guide TFC to their most lopsided win ever over their Canadian Classique opposition.
Bernardeschi also became the second player in Canadian Classique history to score a hat trick, following Ayo Akinola in July 2020, and the first for Toronto since Akinola in the same performance from nearly four years ago.
The 30-year-old, who joined Toronto in July 2022 after a trophy-filled run with Juventus, has nine goal contributions (6g/3a) over his last four matches to equal his total from last season (5g/4a in 31 appearances). Toronto have also equaled their point total from 2023, reaching 22 points thanks to a 7W-6L-1D record that has them fifth in the Eastern Conference standings.
Bernardeschi is Toronto's first MLS Player of the Matchday since Michael Bradley in Matchday 22 of 2022. He's also the first Italian winner since ex-TFC star Sebastian Giovinco in 2017 (Matchday 25).
Toronto host FC Cincinnati on Saturday night in Matchday 16 (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
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 X (formerly known as Twitter) fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.
