Retired USWNT legend Tobin Heath officially entered the National Soccer Hall of Fame on May 1st, celebrating a decorated career that spanned two World Cup titles and two Olympic gold medals.
The 37-year-old earned 181 caps for the USWNT, winning World Cups in 2015 and 2019 alongside Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012. Tobin Heath finished her international career with 36 goals and 42 assists, while also playing eight NWSL seasons and four seasons abroad with PSG, Manchester United, and Arsenal.
"I sure do miss playing, but what I will say is that I am so happy to be alive, and I am so happy to be able to spend the rest of my life and everything that I have to give back to this beautiful game," Heath said during her induction speech.
Heather O'Reilly also entered the National Soccer Hall of Fame after registering 47 goals and 55 assists across 231 USWNT caps. She subsequently won the 2015 World Cup, plus three Olympic gold medals in 2004, 2008, and 2012.
"I took so much pride in being a good teammate from whatever role I played, from the days I was scoring hat tricks in high school soccer and called a prodigy to the seasoned veteran knowing it's time to pass the torch," O'Reilly said.
The National Soccer Hall of Fame class also inducted referee Kari Seitz, who became the first and only referee to officiate four Women's World Cups and three Olympic tournaments.
"Somehow I was going to prove that women could do anything, and soccer was my way," Seitz said. "I knew that the impact I wanted to make was going to be something bigger."
Two USWNT legends are seeing their legacies cemented, as the National Soccer Hall of Fame announced on Thursday that retired forwards Tobin Heath and Heather O'Reilly are first-ballot inductees as members of the Class of 2026.
Both Heath and O'Reilly retired as World Cup champions and Olympic medalists, winning their 2008 and 2012 Olympic golds as well as their 2015 World Cup title as teammates.
The USWNT icons led all voting on the Hall of Fame's Player Ballot of 20 finalists, which only allots two to three athletes per annual class for induction.
O'Reilly snagged 47 of the 48-person selection committee's votes, with Heath earning 45 nods for inclusion.
Fellow former USWNT star Sam Mewis finished fifth on the ballot with 32 votes in her first year of eligibility, while longtime NWSL and USWNT player Amy Rodriguez came in seventh with 28 votes.
Longtime Seattle Reign defender Stephanie Cox — a 2008 Olympic gold medalist with the USWNT — also snagged votes, ranking 15th on the Class of 2026 Player Ballot.
Though they fell short of making the cut, a trio of former USWNT stars also earned votes on the 10-finalist Veteran Ballot, with longtime midfielder-turned-broadcaster Aly Wagner as well as legendary '99ers Tiffany Roberts and Lorrie Fair all snagging tallies.
The National Soccer Hall of Fame will induct Heath and O'Reilly as part of its six-person Class of 2026 in a ceremony at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on May 1st.