Former USMNT Captain Carlos Bocanegra Elected to National Soccer Hall of Fame

Photo Courtesy of Atlanta United

The National Soccer Hall of Fame today announced that former U.S. Men’s National Team captain and Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra is the lone member of its 2020 class. Bocanegra will be inducted along with the Hall of Fame’s 2021 class at a combined ceremony next year at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

Tim Howard surprised his former USMNT teammate with the news of his election in a videoconference call while Bocanegra was at an Atlanta United video session at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground in Marietta, Georgia.

Bocanegra, who will be the 305th person to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame, wore the captain’s armband in 64 of his 110 appearances with the USMNT from 2001 to 2012. His 14 international goals are the most by a U.S defender. 

His 15-year professional career began as MLS Rookie of the Year with the Chicago Fire in 2000. After winning MLS Defender of the Year in 2002 and 2003, he moved to Europe for stints in England’s Premier League (Fulham), France’s Ligue 1 (Rennes and Saint-Etienne) and Scotland’s Premier League (Rangers) before two final seasons with Chivas USA (2013-2014) in MLS. 

Following his playing career, Bocanegra was hired as Atlanta United’s Technical Director on March 2, 2015. Bocanegra helped pilot Atlanta to one of the best expansion seasons in MLS history, as the club became the first team to qualify for MLS Cup Playoffs since 2009.

Coming off a historic expansion season, Bocanegra continued to help push the club forward on its way to an extraordinary 2018 season that culminated by winning MLS Cup. The club also qualified for Concacaf Champions League after finishing with the best two-year aggregate record in all of MLS. Bocanegra assembled one of the most prolific attacks in league history, as Atlanta also became just the second team in MLS history to produce back-to-back 70-goal seasons, led by the 2018 MLS MVP Josef Martinez, who broke the league’s single-season scoring record.