Jozy Altidore has been elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, “making the prestigious list during his initial year”, according to Yahoo Sports.
Family and friends gathered in Boca Raton earlier this week to surprise Altidore with the news of his election, “celebrating his remarkable achievements on and off the pitch”, per Palm Beach Post.
Altidore scored 42 goals in 115 appearances for the U.S. Men’s National Team from 2007 to 2019.
His performance placed him third on the all-time scoring list for the national team.
He made two World Cup squads in 2010 and 2014.
He also scored the opening goal in a 2-0 upset of Spain in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup semifinals.
Altidore helped the United States win the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2017.
He led Toronto FC to the Supporters’ Shield and the MLS Cup, scoring the winning goal in the final.
Altidore’s parents emigrated from Haiti, and he was born in New Jersey before moving to Boca Raton when he was young.
He started playing organized soccer at age five.
Altidore began his club career in Major League Soccer with the New York Red Bulls from 2006 to 2008.
He then spent eight seasons abroad with stops in the Spanish Primera, English Premier League, Dutch Eredivisie, and Turkish Süper Lig.
He returned to MLS in 2015 and helped Toronto FC win the 2017 MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield, as well as three straight Canadian Championships from 2016 to 2018.
He retired after a two-year stint with the New England Revolution from 2022 to 2023.
Altidore will be inducted during a private ceremony on April 16, 2027, at the National Soccer Hall of Fame, located at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.