Behind the Numbers: Chris Wondolowski’s Hall of Fame Career
Wondolowski named to National Soccer Hall of Fame 2026 class, will be inducted at ceremony on May 1 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas
U.S. Men’s National Team striker and Major League Soccer legend Chris Wondolowski was announced by the National Soccer Hall of Fame as one of six members of its 2026 class, recognizing his 17-year career filled with goals, records and incredible moments in soccer history.
The Bay Area native grew up playing multiple sports including track, which he earned a scholarship at UCLA for but turned down to play soccer at Chico State. Wondolowski scored 39 goals in 84 games with the Wildcats and didn’t go far to begin his professional career. He was selected 41st overall by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft following the 48 picks of the MLS SuperDraft, meaning he was 89th out of 96 players selected.
Wondolowski scored his first professional goal on August 30, 2006, but it wasn’t until several years later when his breakthrough season showed what a fierce attacking threat he was. The forward netted 18 goals in the 2010 season to win the MLS Golden Boot and led the Earthquakes to the MLS Cup Semifinals.
Following his impressive year, Wondolowski earned his first international call-up in 2011 and made his first appearance with the USMNT on January 22, 2011, against Chile. On July 5, 2013, Wondolowski scored his first international goal against Guatemala. Four days later with his name misspelled on his jersey, he scored a first-half hat trick in a 6-1 win against Belize in the Concacaf Gold Cup. He followed Landon Donovan and Brian McBride as the third U.S. player to score a hat trick in the Gold Cup.
Wondolowski started 14 of his 35 games for the USMNT from 2011-2016, recording 11 goals and three assists. He was named to the 23-player roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and came off the bench in two group stage matches.
Wondolowski earned MLS MVP honors in 2012 after leading San Jose to the Players’ Shield with 66 points. The forward scored 27 of the team’s record 72 goals that year to claim his second Golden Boot, tying for the most goals in a single season which stood until Atlanta United’s Josef Martínez broke the record with 31 in 2018.
In 2015, Wondolowski became the ninth player to reach 100 MLS goals and did so in 210 appearances, the second-fastest behind Taylor Twellman who reached the milestone in 174 games.
On May 18, 2019, Wondolowski broke Donovan’s record for the most goals in MLS history (145). Needing just one goal to tie the record, Wondolowski eclipsed the mark in domineering fashion by scoring all four goals in the 4-1 win over Chicago Fire. He tallied the record-tying goal in the 21st minute before taking over the top spot three minutes into the second half. His third and fourth goals of the game arrived in the 74th and 76th minutes, increasing his total to 148.
Chris Wondolowski needed two goals to break the MLS all-time scoring record. Today he scored FOUR to reach number 1️⃣4️⃣8️⃣ 🔥
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) May 19, 2019
Watch all four record-breaking goals ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/bibquhUhDl
Wondolowski scored double-digit goals for a league-record 10 consecutive seasons (2010-2019). The forward retired after the 2021 season and fittingly scored his last goal in his final match on Nov. 7, 2021. He finished his career with 171 goals – a record that still stands as the most in MLS – in 413 matches, averaging about one goal every 2.5 games.
Wondolowski, a five-time MLS All-Star and three-time MLS Best XI honoree, remains one of the most prolific scorers in American men’s soccer and will be cemented in history at the National Soccer Hall of Fame on Friday, May 1, 2026. The induction ceremony will be streamed live on U.S. Soccer YouTube starting at 7 p.m. ET.