The National Soccer Hall of Fame today announced that D.C. United Legend Tony Sanneh has been elected as one of the six members of its 2026 class. Sanneh joins Chris Wondolowski, Kevin Crow, Tobin Heath, Heather O’Reilly, and Kari Seitz as the six members who will be inducted at a ceremony on May 1 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
Heath, O’Reilly and Wondolowski were elected from the Player Ballot. Crow and Sanneh were elected from the Veteran Ballot, and Seitz was elected from the Builder Ballot. Heath and O’Reilly were elected in their first year of eligibility.
Sanneh played three seasons with the Black-and-Red from 1996-1998, winning the first two ever MLS titles in 1996 and 1997. The defender was instrumental in the 1996 MLS Final against the Los Angeles Galaxy, scoring the first goal for D.C. United and sparking the 3-2 comeback win. He would also win the 1996 U.S. Open Cup with the Black-and-Red. Sanneh appeared in 96 total matches across all competitions for D.C. United, scoring 20 goals and recording 17 assists on his way to winning three trophies. The defender also starred for the USMNT, playing in 43 full internationals between 1997 and 2005, including all five of the U.S. games at the 2002 World Cup. Sanneh also featured for Columbus, Chicago, Colorado and Los Angeles across his MLS career. He played six seasons in German professional leagues, two seasons in the APSL and USL, two seasons in the USISL and one season in the NPSL.
For the Player Ballot, election procedures call for the two Players named on the most ballots (and on at least 50 percent of the ballots) to be elected. A third Player also can be elected by being named on at least 75 percent of the ballots.
The 20 Player finalists received the following number of votes from the 48-member Player Voting Committee: O’Reilly (47, 97.9%), Heath (45, 93.8%), Wondolowski (37, 77.1%), Keith Johnson (33, 68.8%), Samantha Mewis (32, 66.7%), Dwayne DeRosario (29, 60.4%), Amy Rodriguez (28, 58.3%), Kyle Beckerman (27, 56.3%), Robbie Keane (20, 41.7%), Oguchi Onyewu (19, 39.6%), Jermaine Jones (17, 35.4%), Maurice Edu (16, 33.3%), Diego Valeri (13, 27.1%), Michael Archer (12, 25%), Stephanie Lopez Cox (12, 25%), Chad Marshall (11, 22.9%), Mike Lawson (10, 20.8%), Carlos Ruiz (7, 14.6%), Matt Besler (6, 12.5%), Geoff Cameron (5, 10.4%).
For the Veteran Ballot, election procedures call for the Veteran named on the most ballots (and on at least 50 percent of the ballots) to be elected. A second Veteran also can be elected by being named on at least 75 percent of the ballots.
The 10 Veteran finalists received the following number of votes from the 24-member Veteran Voting Committee: Sanneh (21, 87.5%), Crow (19, 79.2%), Tatu (17, 70.8%), Tiffany Roberts (16, 66.7%), David Beckham (11, 45.8%), Clint Mathis (10, 41.7%), Lorrie Fair (6, 25%), Chico Borja (5, 20.8%), Aly Wagner (5, 20.8%), Francis Farberoff (1, 4.2%).
For the Builder Ballot, the 2026 rotation considered candidates from the referee category only. Election procedures call for the Builder named to the most ballots (and on at least 50 percent of the ballots) to be elected.
The four Builder finalists received the following number of votes from the 24-member Builder Voting Committee: Seitz (19, 79.2%), Gino D’Ippolito (10, 41.7%), Brian Hall (6, 25%), Mark Geiger (4, 16.7%).
Full 2026 voting results and complete information about election and eligibility procedures are available at NationalSoccerHOF.com. The election process is administered by National Soccer Hall of Fame staff under election and eligibility guidelines established by the Hall of Fame Board of Directors.
About D.C. United
One of the founding clubs of Major League Soccer in 1996, D.C. United is among the most decorated teams in the United States with 13 domestic and international trophies.
D.C. United has called the District home for the last 30 seasons and plays their home games at Audi Field in the Buzzard Point neighborhood of Southwest, Washington, D.C, which opened in 2018. In addition to D.C. United games, the 20,000-seat soccer-specific stadium hosts over 100 events year-round.
The Black-and-Red trains at the Inova Performance Complex, a state-of-the-art training facility and performance center located in Leesburg, Va. The 40,000 square foot 30-acre training facility, that opened in 2021, features four outdoor practice fields, and a training center equipped with a weight room and recovery facilities.
The Black-and-Red have won the MLS Cup four times (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004), the Supporters’ Shield four times (1997, 1999, 2006 and 2007) and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup three times (1996, 2008 and 2013). For more information and club updates, please visit www.dcunited.com and find us on social media @dcunited.
