National Soccer Hall of Fame Announces All Eligible Candidates for 2026 Election

List Includes 20 Players in Their First Year on the Eligibility List

FRISCO, TEXAS (July 17,2025) — The National Soccer Hall of Fame at Toyota Stadium today released the names of all candidates eligible for election in 2026.

Of the 224 people named, 64 are on the Player Eligibility List, 113 are on the Veteran Eligibility List and 47 are on the Builder Eligibility List.

The Hall of Fame’s Screening Committees will narrow the Player, Veteran and Builder ballots before they and other members of the Voting Committees vote on the Final Ballot, electing a maximum of six new Hall of Fame members. As many as three Players and two Veterans can be selected, along with one Builder.

Player Eligibility List


The Player Screening Committee is responsible for narrowing the 64-person list to a 20-person final ballot for the 2026 election.

Players in their first year on the eligibility list are:

• Tyler Bennett: 60 games with the U.S. Men’s Cerebral Palsy National Team
• Bryce Boarman: At least 38 games with the U.S. Men’s Cerebral Palsy National Team
• Geoff Cameron: Seven seasons in Major League Soccer with one Best XI selection, 55 games with the U.S. Men’s National Team
• Jaelene Hinkle Daniels: Seven seasons in the National Women’s Soccer League with one Best XI selection
• Matt Eby: 36 games with the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team
• David Garza: 54 games for the U.S. Men’s Cerebral Palsy Team
• Ashlyn Harris: Two seasons in Women’s Professional Soccer and nine seasons in the National Women’s Soccer League with two Best XI selections, 24 games with the U.S. Women’s National Team
• Tobin Heath: Two seasons in Women’s Professional Soccer and eight seasons in the National Women's Soccer League with three Best XI selections, 181 games with the U.S. Women’s National Team
• Kevin Hensley: 35 games with the U.S. Men’s Cerebral Palsy National Team
• Seth Jahn: 37 games with the U.S. Men’s Cerebral Palsy National Team
• Chris Jones: 34 games with the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team
• Sacha Kljestan: 13 seasons in MLS with two Best XI selections, 52 games with the U.S. Men’s National Team
• Mike Lawson: 33 games with the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team
• Samantha Mewis: Seven seasons in the National Women’s Soccer League with one Best XI selection, 83 games with the U.S. Women’s National Team
• Lee Nguyen: Nine seasons in Major League Soccer with one Best XI selection
• Heather O’Reilly: 231 games with the U.S. Women’s National Team
• Michael Orozco: 29 games with the U.S. Men’s National Team
• Yosef Osheyack: 25 games with the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team
• Brek Shea: 13 seasons in Major League Soccer with one Best XI selection, 34 games with the U.S. Men’s National Team
• Diego Valeri: Nine seasons in Major League Soccer with three Best XI selections

The eligibility list also includes 15 finalists who return from the 2025 election: Yael Averbuch, Kyle Beckerman, Matt Besler, Stephanie Lopez Cox, Dwayne DeRosario, Maurice Edu, Keith Johnson, Jermaine Jones, Shalrie Joseph, Robbie Keane, Chad Marshall, Oguchi Onyewu, Amy Rodriguez, Carlos Ruiz and Chris Wondolowski.

Along with Johnson and Ruiz, Aldo Balsano, Brad Davis, Mike Lawson and Gavin Sibayan are in their final year of eligibility on the Player ballot. If not elected, they would move to the Veteran Eligibility List for the 2027 election.

To be eligible for election as a Player, an individual must be retired for at least three full calendar years, but for no more than 10 full calendar years, and have either:

• Played in at least 20 full international games for the U.S. Men’s National Team, Women’s National Team or Extended National Teams (Beach, Futsal, CP, Deaf and Power), or
• Played at least five seasons in a United States first-division professional league and been named to a postseason league All-Star team at least once.

Veteran Eligibility List


The Veteran Screening Committee will reduce the 113-person list to a 10-person final ballot through a two-step screening process.

The list includes 18 people who are appearing on the Veteran Eligibility List for the first time and one, Victor Nogueira, who was restored to the list via appeal.

Those appearing on the Veteran Eligibility List for the first time are: 

• Chris Ahrens
• Leigh Ann Robinson Brown
• Edson Buddle
• Lori Chalupny
• Kenny Cooper
• Todd Dunivant
• Karina LeBlanc
• Amy LePeilbet
• Heath Pearce
• Troy Perkins
• Rene Renteria
• Donovan Ricketts
• Homare Sawa
• Bakary Soumare
• Matt Stewart
• Rachel Buehler Van Hollebeke
• Marthell Vazquez
• Cat Reddick Whitehill

The 2025 Veteran finalists who return to the eligibility list are Kevin Crow, Francis Farberoff, Lorrie Fair, Lori Henry, Clint Mathis, Tony Sanneh, Tatu and Aly Wagner.

To be eligible for election as a Veteran, an individual must be retired for more than 10 full calendar years and have either: 

• Played in at least 20 full international games for the U.S. Men’s National Team, Women’s National Team or Extended National Team (10 games if prior to 1990 or five games if prior to 1960), or
• Played at least five seasons in a United States first-division professional league and been named to a postseason league All-Star team at least once, or
• Played at least five seasons in the Major Indoor Soccer League between the end of the NASL in 1984 and the end of the MISL in 1992 and been selected as a first-team all-star.

Builder Eligibility List

Builders are considered in three categories: referees, coaches and contributors. Beginning with the 2022 election, Builder selections have been limited each year to a rotation of the three categories — or to a selection from the full pool of candidates. The 2026 Builder election is open to referees only.

The Builder Screening Committee will narrow the list of 47 candidates to a four-person final ballot through a two-step process.

To qualify for consideration in this category, an individual must have left a distinct mark on soccer in a non-playing capacity and demonstrated a substantial, enduring and positive influence on the sport within the United States at the national or first-division professional level. Eligible candidates must be at least 50 years old and have demonstrated their significant contribution for a minimum of 10 years. 

More Information


Complete information about the election and eligibility procedures is available online at NationalSoccerHoF.com. The election process is administered by National Soccer Hall of Fame staff under election and eligibility guidelines established by the Hall of Fame Board of Directors. 

• List of Eligible Player Candidates
• List of Eligible Veteran Candidates
• List of Eligible Builder Candidates
• List of 2026 NSHOF Selection Committee Members