New York Red Bulls Midfielder Emil Forsberg Named MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra for Matchday 12

NEW YORK (Monday, May 12, 2025) – New York Red Bulls midfielder Emil Forsberg was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra for Matchday 12 of the 2025 MLS season.

Forsberg scored two goals and contributed two assists in the New York Red Bulls’ dominant 7-0 win over the LA Galaxy at Sports Illustrated Stadium (Watch MLS Wrap-Up Discuss Forsberg’s Performance Here). The Swedish international became just the second player in club history to produce multiple goals and multiple assists in a single MLS match, joining Antony De Avila who did so on July 13, 1997. Forsberg is one of four players in MLS with at least five goals and four assists this season and his nine goal contributions lead the Red Bulls. Since joining New York in 2024, Forsberg has scored or assisted in 15 of his 31 regular season matches, helping the Red Bulls to a 9-5-1 record in those contests.

Saturday’s win in the 2024 MLS Cup presented by Audi rematch marked the second time in club history the Red Bulls scored seven goals in a regular season match, last doing so on May 21, 2016 against New York City FC. The win also equaled the largest margin of victory in an MLS Cup rematch in league history, which was also a 7-0 thrashing by the Chicago Fire over the Kansas City Wizards on July 4, 2001.

After Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting opened the scoring in the seventh minute with an assist from Forsberg (Watch Here), the Swede doubled the advantage nine minutes later when he slotted his finish past the ‘keeper from inside the 18-yard box (Watch Here). Forsberg then turned provider with a delicate ball through multiple Galaxy defenders to Choupo-Moting, who made no mistake with his left-footed strike from close range (Watch Here). Forsberg added his second goal and fourth goal contribution in sensational fashion in the 50th minute as he unleashed an unstoppable free kick over the wall for a 4-0 lead en route to the Red Bulls’ convincing victory (Watch Here).

Forsberg joins Lewis Morgan (Matchday 6 of 2024) as the only Red Bulls players to be named MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra since the start of 2023. Forsberg becomes the first Swedish player to earn the honor since Zlatan Ibrahimović on Matchday 28 of 2019.

Next up for the Red Bulls is a trip to face Nashville SC on Wednesday, May 14 at GEODIS Park (8:30 pm ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV) prior to a Hudson River Derby matchup against New York City FC on Saturday, May 17 (4:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass 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.