Philadelphia Union's Tai Baribo named MLS Player of the Month | OneFootball

By MLSsoccer staff

Philadelphia Union forward Tai Baribo is the first Player of the Month recipient for the 2025 season, earning the honor for February and March.

The Israeli international leads the Golden Boot presented by Audi race with six goals in five matches, helping guide the Union to second place in the Eastern Conference standings (4W-2L-0D).

The 27-year-old came sprinting out of the gate with five goals in the first two matches of the season, including the lone hat trick of the season to date on Matchday 2 against FC Cincinnati.

Baribo also became the fourth player in MLS history to score five goals in the first two matches of a season, joining Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández (2021), Ayo Akinola (2020) and Brian Ching (2006) in accomplishing the feat.

Baribo's been on a heater since the start of June 2024, tied for a league-best 15 goals over that span. He also leads the league with four multi-score games since June 2024 and is the only MLS player with multiple hat tricks since June 2024.

Baribo is the third Union player to earn Player of the Month honors and the first since Jack McInerney captured back-to-back accolades in April and May 2013. Sébastien Le Toux (September 2011) is the only other Union player to be voted MLS Player of the Month.

Baribo and the Union will kick off their April slate of games at Subaru Park against Orlando City SC on Saturday (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).

MLS Player of the Month is voted upon by a panel of select national media members in a process conducted by MLS Communications.