Charlotte FC Forward Liel Abada Voted MLS Player of the Matchday Presented by Michelob ULTRA for Matchday 33

NEW YORK (Thursday, October 29, 2026) – Charlotte FC forward Liel Abada was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob ULTRA for Matchday 33 of the 2026 MLS season.

Abada came off the bench and scored a hat trick within his first 18 minutes on the field to help Charlotte FC defeat CF Montréal, 4-0, and clinch an Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs berth (Watch Highlights From His Performance Here). Abada’s hat trick was the third in Charlotte FC regular-season history, joining those scored by Idan Toklomati and Daniel Ríos. His hat trick was also the fastest in club history. In his third season with Charlotte FC, Abada has set single-season career highs in goals (eight), assists (five), and goal contributions (13). With the victory, Charlotte FC joined Inter Miami CF as the only clubs currently to earn at least 50 points in each of the last three regular seasons (2024-26).

With Charlotte leading in the second half, Abada entered the game in the 65th minute and scored two minutes later with a low shot that found the bottom corner of the net (Watch Here). Abada made it a 3-0 advantage as he combined with Toklomati, his Israeli national team teammate, to get behind the Montréal defense and score his second goal (Watch Here). He then completed his hat trick in the 83rd minute with another right-footed finish from inside the 18-yard box to seal the 4-0 win (Watch Here).

Abada becomes the seventh different player in Charlotte FC history to be named MLS Player of the Matchday, and the first to do so since Patrick Agyemang in 2025 (Matchday 15). Abada is the second Israeli national team player to earn the honor in 2026, joining D.C. United’s Tai Baribo.

Abada and Charlotte FC will continue their push for a top-four seed in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs when they host Orlando City SC on Saturday, October 31 at Bank of America Stadium (1 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.