Jozy Altidore, David Beckham, Megan Rapinoe lead National Soccer Hall of Fame class

Former Toronto FC star Jozy Altidore, global icon David Beckham and U.S. women's national team legend Megan Rapinoe headline the 2027 class elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame. They will be inducted alongside Julie Ertz, Lothar Osiander and Brazilian indoor star Tatu in a private ceremony at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on April 16, 2027. The class was announced on Thursday, with Altidore, Rapinoe and Ertz elected in their first year of player eligibility. Beckham and Tatu were selected via the veteran ballot, while Osiander was chosen in the builders' category. Altidore, who was surprised with the news by family and friends in Boca Raton, Fla., ranks third in U.S. men's national team history with 42 goals in 115 appearances from 2007 to 2019. The 37-year-old forward scored the winning goal for Toronto FC in the 2017 MLS Cup final, a 2-0 victory over Seattle, and was named the game's MVP. He helped TFC win the MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield that year, as well as three consecutive Canadian Championships from 2016 to 2018.

"I just want to let you guys know that I’ve been partying since Saturday ... And baby, I’m TFC ‘til I die," Altidore said in a memorable speech at the team's 2017 victory parade. He played for TFC from 2015 to 2021, scoring 79 goals in all competitions, second only to Sebastian Giovinco in club history. Altidore retired after a stint with the New England Revolution and has since become a part-owner of the NFL's Buffalo Bills and invested in other sports ventures.

Beckham's election recognizes his transformative impact on Major League Soccer after joining the LA Galaxy from Real Madrid in 2007. He helped the Galaxy win back-to-back MLS Cup titles in 2011 and 2012 and was named to the MLS Best XI in 2011. Since retiring, he has served as co-owner and president of Inter Miami CF, which won its first MLS Cup in 2025. MLS Commissioner Don Garber surprised Beckham with the Hall of Fame news at the league's Board of Governors' meeting. Rapinoe, who learned of her election in a surprise at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, won the World Cup with the U.S. in 2015 and 2019, earning the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2019 tournament. She retired in 2023 with 63 goals and 73 assists in 203 national team appearances and also won the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA Best Women's Player award in 2019. "To be alongside all the greatest players that have played for us, and played for our country alongside a bunch of my teammates and friends, recognized like that in this way just means you were successful and a part of great teams," Rapinoe said in a video posted to social media.

Ertz won 123 caps for the U.S., scoring 20 goals while playing as a central defender and defensive midfielder. She was named U.S. Soccer's Player of the Year twice and played professionally for the Chicago Red Stars and Angel City in the NWSL. Osiander coached the U.S. men's national team from 1986 to 1988 and was the first head coach of the LA Galaxy. Tatu, born Antonio Carlos Pecorari, scored more than 700 goals in a prolific indoor soccer career and is just the third indoor player elected to the Hall. The inductees were chosen from a list of 20 on the player ballot, 10 on the veteran ballot and four on the builder ballot. Canadian forward Dwayne De Rosario and former Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley were among the player finalists who were not elected. The Hall of Fame is housed at Toyota Stadium, which is also the home of FC Dallas.

With files from The Globe and Mail, Sportsnet and Yahoo Sports