Check out the list of candidates on the list for the next class of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Of the 156 people named, 44 are on the Player Eligibility List, 89 are on the Veteran Eligibility List and 21 are on the Builder Eligibility List. The additional two names appear on the Builder Nominee List.
The Player Screening Committee will be responsible for narrowing a 44-person list to a 20-person final ballot for the 2023 election.
Players in their first year of eligibility are:
- DaMarcus Beasley — 126 U.S. Men’s National Team Caps and 11 seasons in Major League Soccer with one Best XI selection
- Ricardo Clark — 35 USMNT Caps and 15 seasons in MLS with one Best XI selection
- Dwayne DeRosario — 14 seasons in MLS with six Best XI selections
- Landon Donovan — 157 USMNT Caps and 15 seasons in MLS with seven Best XI selections
- Benny Feilhaber — 44 USMNT Caps and nine seasons in MLS with one Best XI selection
- David Ferreira — Five seasons in MLS with one Best XI selection
- Beverly Goebel Yanez — Two seasons in Women’s Professional Soccer and six seasons in the National Women’s Soccer Leagues with one Best XI selection
- Christian Gomez — Six seasons in MLS with three Best XI selections
- Jermaine Jones — 69 USMNT Caps
- Natasha Kai — 67 U.S. Women’s National Team Caps
- Chad Marshall — 16 seasons in MLS with four Best XI selections
- Heather O’Reilly — 231 USWNT Caps
- Michael Parkhurst — 25 USMNT Caps and 10 seasons in MLS with one Best XI selection
- Chris Pontius — 11 seasons in MLS with one Best XI selection
- Nick Rimando — 21 USMNT Caps
- Jonathan Spector — 36 USMNT Caps
The eligibility list also includes 14 finalists who return from the 2022 election: David Beckham, Lori Chalupny, Brian Ching, Maurice Edu, Thierry Henry, Lauren Cheney Holiday, Eddie Johnson, Shalrie Joseph, Robbie Keane, Pablo Mastroeni, Josh McKinney, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Ruiz and Cat Reddick Whitehill.
Beckham, Ching, Mastroeni and Kevin Hartman are in their final year of eligibility on the Player ballot. If not elected, they would move to the Veteran ballot for the 2024 election.
Veteran Eligibility List
The Veteran Screening Committee will reduce the 89-person Eligibility List to a 10-person final ballot through the two-step screening process.
The eligible veterans include three finalists from last year’s Player Ballot: Heather Mitts, Aly Wagner and Josh Wolff. Also appearing on the Veteran Eligibility List for the first time in their 11th year after retirement are Wilman Conde and Jeff Cunningham. Additionally, Bill McPherson was reinstated to the Veteran Eligibility List for 2023.
The 2022 Veteran finalists who return to the eligibility list are Chris Armas, Chico Borja, Mary Harvey, Frankie Hejduk, Clint Mathis, Tony Sanneh, Kate Sobrero Markgraf and Tisha Venturini-Hoch.
Builder Eligibility List & Builder Nominee List
The Builder Screening Committee will narrow the list of 23 coaches to a four-person final ballot through a two-step process.
To be eligible in this category, an individual must have made a mark on soccer in a non-playing capacity and had a major, sustained and positive impact on soccer in the United States on a national or first-division professional level. Individuals on this list must be at least 50 years old or deceased and have at least 10 years of impact at the requisite level.
One individual on the 2023 eligibility list, Clive Charles, appeared as a finalist on the 2021 Builder Ballot, which considered all categories of Builders, including referees, coaches, owners and administrators. Because of the broad general nature of the Builder criteria, nominations also will be considered.
The 2023 list includes two nominees; Cliff McCrath and Steve Negoesco received waivers to be considered during the screening process.
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.
