It's easy to forget that this wasn't always the most likely outcome for Hany Mukhtar.
Nashville SC expected brilliance when it signed Mukhtar as its first designated player in 2019. At the time, Mukhtar was more of a set-up piece than a finisher. But soon after he arrived, Nashville's coaches challenged him to get more goals, believing he had the ability to score as much as facilitate.
Mukhtar proved them right a long time ago, and in his seventh season in MLS, he isn't slowing down at all. His three goals in a 3-2 win over Los Angeles FC at Geodis Park on May 17 were his 99th, 100th and 101st for Nashville (9-1-3, 30 points) in all competitions, and his seventh this year as NSC took the lead in the Supporters' Shield race.
"It is a very, very special story for me personally, and I don't take that for granted," Mukhtar said. "They have promised me a lot, and they kept all their promises, and that is not often in professional soccer. I know how much I should appreciate, and I appreciate everything they have done for me."
The feeling is certainly mutual.
May 17, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville SC midfielder Hany Mukhtar (10) celebrates a goal during the first half against Los Angeles Football Club at Geodis Park. Mandatory Credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images
May 17, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville SC goalkeeper Brian Schwake (99) blocks a shot by Los Angeles Football Club forward Son Heung-Min (7) as Nashville SC defender Jeisson Palacios (4) defends during the first half at Geodis Park. Mandatory Credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images
May 17, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville SC defender Reed Baker-Whiting (27) slide tackles Los Angeles Football Club midfielder Timothy Tillman (11) during the first half at Geodis Park. Mandatory Credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images
May 17, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville SC goalkeeper Brian Schwake (99) stops a shot by Los Angeles Football Club defender Nkosi Tafari (91) during the first half at Geodis Park. Mandatory Credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images1 / 4
See our best photos from Nashville SC vs LAFC
May 17, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville SC midfielder Hany Mukhtar (10) celebrates a goal during the first half against Los Angeles Football Club at Geodis Park. Mandatory Credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images
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See our best photos from Nashville SC vs LAFC
May 17, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville SC midfielder Hany Mukhtar (10) celebrates a goal during the first half against Los Angeles Football Club at Geodis Park. Mandatory Credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images
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See our best photos from Nashville SC vs LAFC
May 17, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville SC goalkeeper Brian Schwake (99) blocks a shot by Los Angeles Football Club forward Son Heung-Min (7) as Nashville SC defender Jeisson Palacios (4) defends during the first half at Geodis Park. Mandatory Credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images
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See our best photos from Nashville SC vs LAFC
May 17, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville SC defender Reed Baker-Whiting (27) slide tackles Los Angeles Football Club midfielder Timothy Tillman (11) during the first half at Geodis Park. Mandatory Credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images
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See our best photos from Nashville SC vs LAFC
May 17, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville SC goalkeeper Brian Schwake (99) stops a shot by Los Angeles Football Club defender Nkosi Tafari (91) during the first half at Geodis Park. Mandatory Credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images
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Mukhtar's fifth professional hat trick, and first since June 17, 2023 against St. Louis City, came in a game where Nashville was down four starters, including Sam Surridge, who has supplanted Mukhtar as Nashville's top goalscorer. Coach B.J. Callaghan said Mukhtar took on LAFC (6-4-3, 21 points) with "a point to prove."
"You need your captain, you need your DPs to step up in the biggest games," Callaghan said. "… When you look back at what the last two weeks have looked like, the group is needing a spark, and this is a guy who's playing almost every minute of every game. For him to come up and put the Man of the Match performance on the field tonight is exactly what the team needed."
Mukhtar opened the scoring in the 13th minute off a one-two passing move with Warren Madrigal. Eight minutes later, he curled a free kick inside the near post for his 100th goal. He scored on another free kick, this one from 25 yards straight on, 14 minutes into the second half.
But there was another play that stood out just as much to Callaghan, in which Mukhtar was dispossessed in the middle of the field, reacted and chased down his opponent to recover the ball. With injuries to Surridge, Eddi Tagseth, Patrick Yazbek and Andy Najar, Nashville has relied on Mukhtar even more heavily not only as an attacker, but as a defender and a leader. His play against LAFC displayed all of it.
"I had great examples in the past with Dax McCarty and Walker Zimmerman," Mukhtar said. "I just try to give back to the team. We have been really working on the mental toughness this year. … We have so many good young players, if you look at Reed (Baker-Whiting), Matt (Corcoran), Warren, Ahmed (Qasem), Shak (Mohammed) and Maxwell (Woledzi). We need to help them. This is the only way this team can go from a good team to a great team."
Games like this also come as a reminder for Mukhtar, who feels he's sometimes struggled to enjoy the moment throughout his career. Now at age 31, he's trying to do a better job of reflecting on his accomplishments when they happen — even if, as he joked after the win, he plans on playing for another 50 years.
"We are very critical and very hard on ourselves most of the time," Mukhtar said. "That's why we are in the position where we are. That's why we are professional. We want to get better, we want to get the next goal, get the next result, always more success. But also, to appreciate what we have done makes you stronger."
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com and on X/Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Hany Mukhtar scores 100th MLS goal for Nashville SC. How it happened
