Soccer <\/p>\n
Hany Mukhtar<\/a> found himself with an unfamiliar opportunity when the FIFA World Cup<\/a> necessitated a seven-week pause in Major League Soccer\u2019s 2026 campaign: The chance to show his wife Ashley and their 2-year-old daughter Layla his globally renowned hometown in its glorious peak weather conditions, rather than the midwinter vibes of a typical offseason visit.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cIt has been a minute since I had personally a summer break,\u201d Nashville SC<\/a>\u2019s star attacker explained to MLSsoccer.com on Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cI went to Berlin, and I forgot how beautiful Berlin is during the summer. It was a good time. But now I’m happy to be back.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Mukhtar and his family, which will soon grow again \u2013 Ashley is expecting their second child \u2013 had much to savor over the World Cup break, and plenty to look forward to as Nashville resume play with Friday\u2019s down-South clash with Atlanta United<\/a> (8:10 pm ET | Apple TV<\/a>, FOX, FOX Deportes).<\/p>\n Nashville sit atop the overall MLS table with 33 points from their first 14 matches, only one of which was a loss, even while juggling the rigors of a Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> semifinal run that included an historic defeat of Mexican giants Club Am\u00e9rica in the vaunted Estadio Azteca. That torrid pace ranks as the third-best<\/a> in the league\u2019s three decades of existence, and a strong indicator of their status as Supporters\u2019 Shield favorites.<\/p>\n Mukhtar recently earned his fifth career MLS All-Star nod<\/a>, just reward for his 6g\/5a in league play thus far. And having gotten a taste of glory with their US Open Cup<\/a> title \u2013 the club\u2019s first major trophy \u2013 last autumn, he and his fellow Coyotes are eager to underline their credentials as serious MLS Cup presented by Audi contenders in the months ahead.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s time for a trophy for this team,\u201d said Mukhtar, the league MVP in 2022.<\/p>\n \u201cWe won the Open Cup last year, and it was great. But we have bigger goals as a club, and I think it’s time. We’re growing, and we’re ready to achieve these things.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Recapping our season with 1\ufe0f\u20e3 week until we’re back \u2b07\ufe0f<\/p>\n \ud83d\udeab MLS-best 11 goals allowed THESE BOYS ARE ELITE \ud83d\udc51\ud83d\ude24 pic.twitter.com\/NKs4xZozry<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2014 Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) July 10, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n In the two years since head coach B.J. Callaghan\u2019s arrival, Nashville have reinvented themselves in tactical and philosophical terms, evolving from the sturdy (if occasionally stodgy) defensive outfits of former boss Gary Smith\u2019s tenure into a more possession-dominant side, capable of winning tight tussles and barnburners alike.<\/p>\n Mukhtar epitomizes that. As Ben Wright detailed in Nashville-based site SixOneFive Soccer’s 2025 report card<\/a>, last season Mukhtar led his team in minutes played and distance covered (he ran an average of 6.9 miles per game, fifth-most in MLS), all while posting one of MLS\u2019s top expected goal contributions numbers in addition to his 16g\/12a in league play.<\/p>\n For the analytics-oriented, his data wheel is a sight to behold, reflecting elite-tier output in a range of categories.<\/p>\n Callaghan\u2019s system has stoked some splashy scoring numbers for Mukhtar and his strike partner Sam Surridge<\/a>, and they\u2019ve hit another level with the winter arrival of free-agent winger Cristian Espinoza<\/a> as Nashville’s third Designated Player. The trio has already notched 31 goal contributions between them, while teammates like Andy Najar<\/a>, Warren Madrigal<\/a> and Patrick Yazbek<\/a> have chipped in at vital moments as well.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, of course. I mean, I haven’t met an attacker who doesn’t want to play with the ball!\u201d wisecracked Mukhtar regarding whether he\u2019s enjoying Callaghan\u2019s assertive approach. \u201cSo right now there is a balance, always, between attacking and defending, but I think we have a good balance, and we want to be even more proactive with the ball and controlling the game with the ball.”<\/p>\n Meanwhile, that familiar defensive resilience remains, as the Coyotes have conceded the joint-fewest goals in the league (11).<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the development aspect: Callaghan and his staff have nurtured a litany of individual improvements and injected an aging roster with youth, including an increased focus on the club’s academy and\u00a0MLS NEXT Pro<\/a> pipeline at Huntsville City FC.<\/p>\n \u201cB.J. is an excellent coach, very talented coach,\u201d said Mukhtar. \u201cWhat impresses me most is that he’s always willing to improve \u2013 constantly willing to improve the team, constantly willing to adjust and make players better and better and better. And that is, I think, the culture at this club. We want to get better, we want to improve, and we find solutions for problems.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has a clear idea how to play, and this is very good so far. But we are just midseason, so we have a long way to go.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Stop scrolling for a sec, we got you covered \ud83c\udf1f pic.twitter.com\/GG4f9FESwG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) June 2, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Seven years after signing on as Nashville\u2019s first-ever DP, Mukhtar remains the face of the club. He and Ashley famously got married on the pitch at GEODIS Park, an event which drew exclusive coverage from People magazine<\/a>. And it was no surprise when the club picked him as their centerpiece<\/a> for the new \u2018Can I Kick It?\u2019 spot from a promotional campaign titled \u2018Thanks World, We’ll Take It From Here,\u2019 designed to harness World Cup momentum as the tournament reaches its finale this weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m very honored and very proud about that,\u201d said Mukhtar. \u201cI love Nashville. I love the club. They welcomed me with open arms seven years ago, and now I feel like it’s my club, and I try to help, to improve this club every single year, getting better and better and achieving our goals together.\u201d<\/p>\n That work continues on Friday night, when their match and El Tr\u00e1fico, the must-see Southern California showdown between LAFC<\/a> and the LA Galaxy<\/a>, offer a prime-time doubleheader on US network television, one of six MLS fixtures placed between the World Cup semifinals and final to remind North American audiences of the local soccer product available coast to coast all season.<\/p>\n While Nashville-Atlanta doesn\u2019t yet carry the formal trappings of a derby like the one in Los Angeles, Mukhtar calls it \u201cby far the biggest rivalry\u201d for him and his team, with 247 miles \u2013 a modest distance by North American standards \u2013 separating the two clubs\u2019 stadiums.<\/p>\n He\u2019s got extra reason for that, though. As it turns out, Mukhtar\u2019s commitment to evangelizing for the beautiful game spans the big picture and the deeply personal, starting with his brother-in-law, Blake.<\/p>\n \u201cMy wife is from Atlanta. Her brother was a season-ticket holder for Atlanta United,\u201d revealed Mukhtar, the satisfaction in his voice unmistakable as he noted that Blake is no longer a Five Stripes ticketholder.<\/p>\n \u201cNow he comes more and more to the Nashville games. So I\u2019m trying to win him over.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Hany Mukhtar hatty \u26bd\ufe0f\u26bd\ufe0f\u26bd\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/IO02KPXVmj<\/a><\/p>\nNashville’s centerpiece<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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\u2b50\ufe0f MLS-best 4 All-Stars
\ud83c\udfc6 Top of Eastern Conference & Supporters’ Shield tables
\u2728 33 points from 14 games, joint-best start of any team in 25 years<\/p>\nConstant evolution<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Club legend<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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