Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 28 of the 2023 MLS season. Almada becomes the first player this season to be named MLS Player of the Matchday three different times, after doing so on Matchday 1 and 4.
Almada scored once and contributed two assists in Atlanta’s 4-0 victory against rivals Nashville SC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, August 26. On the season, Almada now has 22 goal contributions (nine goals, 13 assists), which is tied with FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta for the most in the league. The World Cup winner also joined Josef Martínez (three times) as the only players in club history to total at least 20 goal contributions through their first 24 games of a season. With multiple assists against Nashville, Almada sits one helper shy of tying the single-season club record (14) set by three different players. Atlanta has now scored 48 regular season goals in 2023, which ranks third in MLS this season.
Atlanta opened the scoring in the 26th minute when Almada played a perfect cross-field pass to Xande Silva who one-time volleyed a finish into the corner of the net (**Watch Here**). Almada doubled the lead in the opening minute after halftime when he chipped the goalkeeper from close range, which could not be kept out of the net by a lunging Nashville defender (**Watch Here**). The Argentine provided his second assist of the night when his corner kick was headed home by U.S. Men’s National Team defender Miles Robinson in the 57th minute to seal all three points (**Watch Here**). Almada recorded nine chances created against Nashville and continues to lead the league in that category with 76 on the season. His four big chances created on Saturday are the most in an MLS match in 2023.
Almada joins Martínez (2018 and 2019) as the only players in club history to earn the honor at least three times in a single season.
Atlanta becomes the first club to earn MLS Player of the Matchday honors five different times during the 2023 season. It also marks the first time in club history that three different players have won the award in the same season.
The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire 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 a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.
Atlanta United (11-7-8, 41 points) returns to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday as it hosts FC Cincinnati at 7:30 p.m. ET. All Atlanta United matches are available with an MLS Season Pass subscription, located on the Apple TV app.
