Although Matchweek 26 featured a lighter schedule, it was still heavy on excitement.
Carolina Core FC pulled off a thrilling derby victory to keep their Eastern Conference playoff hopes alive, earning Team of the Matchweek honors.
Kevin Gbamblé’s three-goal contributions powered Columbus Crew 2 past Inter Miami II, securing him the Player of the Matchweek award.
Meanwhile, Kai Zeruhn kept a clean sheet to help MNUFC2 to a second straight win, shutting down Austin FC II in a 1-0 victory.
Let’s take a closer look at all the winners:
MLS NEXT Pro Team of Matchweek 26: Carolina Core FC
Carolina Core FC picked the perfect moment to rise to the occasion, defeating Crown Legacy FC in a seven-goal thriller to claim the final North Carolina derby of the season and keep their postseason hopes alive.
The Foxes struck four times in one of their most dramatic wins of the 2025 campaign, earning Team of the Matchweek 26 honors with a 4-3 win.
Midfielder Facundo Canete played a key role from the midfielder, delivering a goal and two assists to spearhead his team's victory.
The result proved pivotal in the Eastern Conference playoff race, lifting Carolina Core FC into ninth place with 33 points, one spot behind Orlando City B, who hold the edge in the standings thanks to the regulation wins tiebreaker (9 to 7).
With back-to-back victories and four matches remaining, the Foxes now carry plenty of momentum as they chase their first-ever MLS NEXT Pro playoff appearance.
MLS NEXT Pro Player of Matchweek 26: Kevin Gbamblé, Columbus Crew 2
It was only a matter of time before Kevin Gbamblé had a breakout performance, and he delivered it in Matchweek 26, earning Player of the Matchweek honors after leading Columbus Crew 2 to a 4-0 victory over Inter Miami II.
The Côte d’Ivoire native registered three goal contributions (2g/1a) while also creating two more chances for his teammates, continuing his strong run of form to close the season.
The 18-year-old has now scored in three consecutive matches, bringing his season total to five goals and one assist.
On loan from Ivoire Académie, Gbamblé has quickly established himself as one of Crew 2’s most exciting prospects and a potential key piece for 2026 if he were to stay another year.
And while Crew 2 will be unable to continue their streak of postseason appearances, Gamblé's emergence provides plenty of optimism as the club looks to set the tone for the 2026 season.
MLS NEXT Rising Star of Matchweek 26: Kai Zeruhn, MNUFC2
Kai Zeruhn kept his goal on lockdown in Matchweek 26, delivering his second clean sheet of the season to earn MLS NEXT Rising Star of Matchweek 26.
The 18-year-old goalkeeper was sharp between the posts in MNUFC2’s 1-0 victory over Austin FC II, coming up with key stops to help earn his team the three points.
Zeruhn’s had two critical saves during the match with the first one being a close-range save in the seventh minute to deny the visitors an early goal, and then another stop late in the second half to keep the visitors off the scoresheet.
With the clean sheet, Zeruhn helped his team stay above the playoff line in a tight Western Conference playoff race and earned invaluable experience in a must-win environment.
