KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Oct. 30, 2026) – United Soccer Coaches has announced the selection of longtime soccer broadcaster Andres Cantor as the seventh recipient of the Clay Berling Media Career of Excellence Award.
The award was established in 2020 to provide an opportunity for the association to recognize a media professional for a distinguished career covering the events and issues of soccer in the United States. It is named for Clay Berling, the founder and publisher of Soccer America. Berling is the only person from the media to have been named a recipient of the United Soccer Coaches prestigious Honor Award in 1996.
“It is with great admiration that we recognize Andres Cantor with our seventh annual Media Career of Excellence Award,” said Paul Payne, United Soccer Coaches President. “On behalf of our association, we extend our gratitude to Andres and his commitment to the sport through his longtime contributions to the game.”
An Emmy Award winner and Hall of Fame broadcaster, Andres Cantor has called World Cup soccer since 1979. His trademark ¡GOOOOOL! call has made him the face and voice of Spanish-language soccer coverage.
He has covered men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups, the Summer Olympics, Copa América, the English Premier League, and Major League Soccer among many other competitions around the world.
Cantor has covered every men’s FIFA World Cup since 1986, along with four FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments — including the inaugural competition in 1991.
He won nine Emmy Awards covering multiple World Cups and Olympic Games for Telemundo and Universo. He recently was named Netflix’s first play-by-voice and will be the primary announcer for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
In 1994, the American Sportscaster Association named him Sports Personality of the Year. In 2020, the National Soccer Hall of Fame recognized him with the Colin Jose Media Award for his significant long-term contributions to soccer in the United States.
The award will be presented on Friday, January 22, 2027, during the United Soccer Coaches annual Awards Ceremony in conjunction with its 87th annual Convention, January 20-23 in Kansas City, Mo.