Eligible candidates for 2022 National Soccer Hall of Fame Election announced

FRISCO, TEXAS — The National Soccer Hall of Fame at Toyota Stadium has released the names of all candidates eligible for election in 2022.

Of the 175 people named, 36 are on the Player Eligibility List, 97 are on the Veteran Eligibility List and 42 are on the Builder Eligibility List. Based on the Builder rotation established in 2020, only referees will be considered for the 2022 Builder Final Ballot.

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 will be responsible for narrowing a 36-person list to a 20-person final ballot for the 2022 election.

Players in their first year of eligibility are Yael Averbuch (26 U.S. Women’s National Team caps), Brad Evans (27 U.S. Men’s National Team Caps), Clint Dempsey (141 U.S. Men’s National Team Caps & two-time MLS Best XI) and Robbie Keane (four-time MLS Best XI).

The eligibility list also includes 16 finalists who return from the 2021 election: Hope Solo, Shannon Boxx, Josh McKinney, Lauren Cheney Holiday, David Beckham, Heather Mitts, Lori Chalupny, Keith Johnson, Aly Wagner, Cat Reddick Whitehill, Pablo Mastroeni, Oguchi Onyewu, Shalrie Joseph, Kevin Hartman, Thierry Henry and Josh Wolff.

Mitts, Wagner, Wolff and Jeff Cunningham are in their final year of eligibility on the Player ballot. If not elected, they would move to the Veteran ballot for the 2023 election.

In order 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 (Paralympic, Beach & Futsal).

* Played at least five seasons in an American 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 97-person Eligibility List to a 10-person final ballot through the two-step screening process.

The eligible veterans include two finalists from last year’s Player Ballot, Gregg Berhalter and Frankie Hejduk. Also appearing on the Veteran Eligibility list for the first time in their 11^th year after retirement are: Jimmy Conrad, Brent Goulet, Chris Hellenkamp, Jovan Kirovski, Pat Morris, Pat Onstad, Eddie Robinson, Diego Serna, Lindsay Tarpley, Zach Thornton and Christie Welsh.

The 2021 Veteran finalists who return to the eligibility list are: Marco Etcheverry, Kate Sobrero Markgraf, Tisha Venturini-Hoch, Linda Hamilton, Steve Ralston, Shep Messing, Tony Sanneh, Clint Mathis and Angela Hucles.

In order 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).

* Played at least five seasons in an American first-division professional league and been named to a postseason league All-Star team at least once.

* 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

The Builder Screening Committee will narrow the list of 42 eligible referees 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 and have at least 10 years of impact at the requisite level.

In the case of referees, a minimum of seven years on the FIFA list is required. An exception may be made in the case of those who are deemed to have made exceptional contributions beyond their active refereeing careers or who have particularly distinguished themselves without attaining the required seven years. Referees on the eligibility list as of 2007 were grandfathered in.

Four individuals on the 2022 eligibility list — Esse Baharmast, Kari Seitz, Sandra Hunt and Brian Hall — appeared as finalists on the 2021 Builder Ballot, which considered all categories of Builders, including referees, coaches, owners and administrators.

See ALL Eligible Player Candidates HERE
See ALL Eligible Veteran Candidates HERE
See ALL Eligible Builder Candidates HERE
List of 2022 NSHOF Selection Committee Members