The National Soccer Hall of Fame announced five members of its 2025 class on Tuesday, which includes USWNT great Carli Lloyd, who was elected in her first year of eligibility.
Former players Chris Armas, Mary Harvey and Nick Rimando were also announced, as was former MLS executive Mark Abbott.
The quintet will be inducted into the hall at a ceremony at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, in May.
Lloyd retired from professional soccer following the 2021 season, playing her final games with her hometown club Gotham FC. She played 11 seasons of first-division soccer in the U.S., as well as one season overseas for Manchester City, winning an English Women’s FA Cup title with the club in 2017. The New Jersey native and Rutgers graduate has won two World Cup titles and two Olympic gold medals across 316 full international matches, second most after Kristine Lilly.
The 42-year-old will long be remembered for her historic goals for the national team. Lloyd scored the winning goal in the 2008 Olympic final, scored twice in the 2012 final, and, most notably, delivered a hat trick in the 2015 World Cup final against Japan, helping her earn MVP of the tournament. Lloyd was also a two-time FIFA women’s world player of the year.
Adding to her long list of accolades.@AlexiLalas gives USWNT Legend @CarliLloyd the good news! pic.twitter.com/NmB4sMjwcI
— National Soccer HOF (@soccerhof) December 3, 2024
Armas, the current head coach of Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids, is known for his time on the U.S. national team and MLS. Now 52, he retired following the 2007 season after 12 seasons. He first played at LA Galaxy, and then with Chicago Fire. The midfielder played in the MLS Championship four times, winning it in 1998 with the Fire. His career on the national team lasted from 1998 to 2005, appearing in 66 international matches.
Rimando, who last played for Real Salt Lake in MLS, retired after the 2019 season. The goalkeeper set the record for most appearances in first-division American soccer, playing 553 games across 20 MLS seasons, and winning titles with two different teams. His first was with DC United in 2004, and then with Real Salt Lake in 2009, when he was named MVP of the final. Rimando began his career with the Miami Fusion in 2000.
The 45-year-old also played with the U.S. national team, making 21 international appearances from 2002 to 2005. He was on the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning team and a member of the 2014 World Cup squad.
Harvey was also a goalkeeper, winning the World Cup in 1991 with the U.S. women and then a gold medal at the Olympics in 1996. She played every minute of all six games in that inaugural World Cup, ending the tournament having conceded only five goals and recorded three shutouts. She was a pioneer for the sport, competing in the first women’s FIFA World Cup and the first Olympic games for women’s soccer. She also was one of the first American female players to play overseas, competing for three seasons in the German women’s first division and two seasons in the Swedish women’s first division.
The 59-year-old has also had a successful career post-retirement, currently serving as CEO of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights. In 2017, she was part of the bid team that helped bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup to North America. Over her illustrious career, Harvey had stops at U.S. Soccer, FIFA and Women’s Professional Soccer, one of the earlier versions of professional women’s soccer in the U.S.
A call of congratulations from the commissioner @thesoccerdon! pic.twitter.com/m7bdlAwctF
— National Soccer HOF (@soccerhof) December 3, 2024
Finally, Abbott is best known for his time at MLS, serving as president and deputy commissioner of the league for 10 seasons, between 2013 through 2022. He also served a stint as the league’s vice president for business affairs. The 60-year-old was hired as the league’s first employee in 1993, three years before the league began play.
Both Lloyd and Rimando were elected via a player ballot, while Armas and Harvey were selected by the veteran ballot. Abbott earned his entry through the builder ballot, which chooses from a pool of referees, coaches, or other contributors to the sport.
(Photo: David Berding / Getty Images)
