Abby Wambach and Sunil Gulati Headline the 2019 Class of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
Two-person class will be enshrined in Frisco, Texas on September 21 at Toyota Stadium
Jersey City, N.J. - The National Soccer Hall of Fame announced its 2019 class today in Jersey City, N.J. Former U.S. Women's National Team forward Abby Wambach and former U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati will be enshrined during an induction ceremony on September 21 at the National Soccer Hall of Fame located at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
U.S. Soccer Federation CEO Dan Flynn and U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro informed Gulati of his upcoming induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame during U.S. Soccer's Board of Directors meeting in Jersey City, N.J. on Saturday morning.
Former U.S. Captain and Hall of Famer Julie Foudy (’07) informed Wambach of her upcoming induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame during a media interview on Saturday afternoon in Jersey City, NJ.
The National Soccer Hall of Fame voting committee determined the 2019 class from a list of 44 finalists on the Hall of Fame player ballots, 14 finalists on the Hall of Fame veteran ballots and nine finalists in the Hall of Fame builder category.
Click here for more information about the 2019 National Soccer Hall of Fame Induction Weekend.
2019 National Soccer Hall of Fame Class
Sunil Gulati, Builder
- President - U.S. Soccer (2006-2018)
- Currently – Michael K. Dakolias Senior Lecturer, Columbia University
Gulati was president of the U.S. Soccer Federation from 2006 through 2018. He was elected in 2006 and re-elected in 2010 and 2014. Since 2013, he has been a member of the FIFA Council. He was a USSF Committee Chairman in the 1980s, Executive Vice President of the 1994 World Cup Organizing Committee, Deputy Commissioner of Major League Soccer from 1995 to 1999 and Executive Vice President of the USSF from 2000 to 2006.
Abby Wambach, Player
- Forward - U.S. Women’s National Team (2001-2015), University of Florida (1998-2001)
- Currently - Author, Activist, Speaker, WOLFPACK Endeavor Leadership Program Founder
Wambach, who remains the all-time leading goal scorer in women’s international soccer, played in four World Cups and two Olympic Games while making 255 full international appearances for the United States between her National Team debut in 2001 and her final game in 2015. In those games, she scored 184 goals, putting her 26 goals ahead of the previous international and U.S. National Team scoring leader, Mia Hamm.
Wambach’s honors included being named the USSF Female Player of the year six times, (2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012), the Concacaf female player of the year in 2014 and the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year in 2012. In 2013, she was named to the U.S. Women’s National Team All-Time Best XI.