FC Cincinnati's Ayoub Lajhar made his Major League Soccer debut on Saturday night in a 2-0 win over Red Bull New York. The 21-year-old left back came on as a 79th-minute substitute, replacing an injured player. Lajhar was drafted by FC Cincinnati in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft with the 55th overall pick. He made his first team debut earlier this year in the Concacaf Champions Cup against O&M FC, recording two assists off the bench in Cincinnati's 9-0 win. Lajhar attended Brattleboro High School and Vermont Academy before starring at the University of Connecticut. Born in Libya, Lajhar played two summers for the Vermont Green in Burlington, winning the 2025 USL2 national championship last August. "I'm very grateful for the FC Cincinnati staff and for the club and for giving me the opportunity and putting faith and trust in me to give me my debut," said Lajhar after his MLS debut. The win marked a successful start to the season for FC Cincinnati, who will look to build on this momentum in their next match.