Julian de Guzman, Melissa Tancredi named to Canada Soccer Hall of Fame

By Canadian Press on January 31, 2026.

Julian de Guzman and Melissa Tancredi, who together earned more than 200 caps for Canada, have been named to the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026.

De Guzman was a trailblazer, the first Canadian to play in Spain’s La Liga. A former Canada captain, he won 89 caps between 2002 and 2016.

A skilled technical midfielder, de Guzman was good on the ball with an eye to linking up with a teammate.

Tancredi was a powerful forward who won 125 caps for Canada between 2004 and 2017. She played in some of the Canadian women’s biggest games, helping the team to some of its best results.

“Beyond their on-field achievements, Julian and Melissa served as ambassadors for the game, inspiring teammates, supporters, and role models to the next generation of Canadian players,” Canada Soccer president Peter Augruso said in a statement.

“Their legacies extend well beyond results, leaving an enduring impact on the culture, credibility, and ambition of Canadian soccer. Their induction into the Hall of Fame is a fitting tribute to their remarkable careers, and to the leadership, character, and lasting legacy they leave behind.”

Both de Guzman and Tancredi will be honoured later this year at national team home matches.

De Guzman was 20 when he won his first Canadian cap as a late addition to the 2002 Gold Cup squad after Garret Kusch was injured. He recalled his No. 16 jersey was too big and you could see his name over the imprint of Kusch’s.

He went on to captain Canada 25 times and, for a while, held the record for most caps by a Canadian male.

De Guzman took part in four World Cup qualifying cycles and played under eight Canadian managers: Holger Osieck, Bruce Twamley, Frank Yallop, Stephen Hart, Dale Mitchell, Tony Fonseca, Colin Miller and Benito Floro.

He played in six CONCACAF Gold Cups and made the tournament all-star team in 2007, 2009 and 2013. He was tournament MVP in 2007 when Canada reached the semifinals.

At club level, he played for clubs in France, Germany, Greece and Spain as well as Major League Soccer and the North American Soccer League.

In 2008, de Guzman was named player of the year by both Canada Soccer and Spain’s Deportivo La Coruna. In 2009, he joined Toronto FC as the league’s first Canadian designated player.

“Football has been the love of my life,” de Guzman said at his retirement news conference in Ottawa in January 2017. “It has given me a ticket to explore many countries, different cultures.”

His Spanish scorecard included a goal against Real Madrid.

He closed out his playing career with the now-defunct Ottawa Fury, which said de Guzman retired having played 513 games and 38,221 minutes for club and country in a 17-year career.

Now 44, he has built a new career in the front office, serving as the New York Red Bulls’ head of sport.

Tancredi won 125 caps for Canada in a senior international career that stretched from 2004 to 2017. Known simply as Tanc, she scored 27 goals and added 15 assists.

She captained Notre Dame to the NCAA national title in 2004 when she was named a first team all-American for the second time.

Tancredi went on to compete at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics, earning bronze medals at the last two. She also took part in the 2007, 2011 and 2015 World Cups.

At the 2012 Olympics in London, she scored four of Canada’s six goals in the group stage with goals against Japan and South Africa and two against Sweden. Her four goals tied for third at the tournament, with captain Christine Sinclair leading with six.

Tancredi scored big goals, notching the match winners that qualified Canada for the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. In early 2016, she scored three goals in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifier to help Canada books its ticket to the Rio Olympics.

Tancredi took two years off after the London games to complete her chiropractic degree. She said she became interested in becoming a chiropractor after seeing one for back problems while at Notre Dame.

The native of Ancaster, Ont., graduated from Logan College of Chiropractic in suburban St. Louis, returning to action to captain Canada in her 100th career match in May 2015 in nearby Hamilton.

She also captained Canada in its final group game against Germany at the Rio Olympics.

“Any time you wear that captain’s armband it just does something to you,” Tancredi said. “It touches your heart.”

At the club level, Tancredi played in Canada, the U.S. and Sweden. She reached the 2010 USL W-League Championship final with Vancouver Whitecaps FC and she was a WPS league runner-up with Saint Louis Athletica in 2009.

Now 44, she is co-owner of Vancouver’s Workshop Performance Clinic and remains a valued part of the Canadian women’s team, spending the last eight years as a chiropractor with Canada Soccer.

To date, the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame has welcomed 149 players, 11 referees, 13 officials and 45 builders as honoured members.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2026.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press