Andres Cantor named 2020 Colin Jose Media Award recipient by U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame

Andres Cantor, Telemundo Deportes’ iconic sports commentator has been named the recipient of the National Soccer Hall of Fame 2020 Colin Jose Media Award. The famed commentator received one of US Soccer’s most esteemed awards during a special Telemundo Deportes broadcast on Sunday, October 25th preceding the network’s Chivas versus Cruz Azul match coverage. As the 13th recipient of the Colin Jose award, Cantor is the first Spanish-Language broadcast personality to be honored with the award, and only the third broadcast media personality regardless of language to be honored with the award since JP Dellacamera in 2018 and Seamus Malin in 2005.

The five-time Emmy-Award winner, Andres Cantor, is the most popular fútbol voice in the United States. Captivating fans with his unmatched narrative style, unique phrases and legendary GOOOOOL! call, Cantor’s signature style has become emblematic of Telemundo’s soccer coverage and synonymous with the excitement and passion that resonates through every match.

Celebrating 20 years with Telemundo this year and more than 20,000 goal calls over the course of his nearly 35-year career, Cantor, was presented with the award by National Soccer Hall of Famer, Tab Ramos, in a special on-air celebration broadcast across both Telemundo and sister network, Universo. The celebration, hosted by fellow Telemundo Deportes on-air talent, Miguel Gurwitz, alongside Manuel Sol and Carlos Hermosillo, featured messages from U.S. Soccer stars such as Carli Lloyd, Landon Donovan, Alex Morgan, Jill Ellis and others. The event also featured heartfelt messages from additional Telemundo Deportes colleagues and executives, including Telemundo Deportes’ President, Ray Warren, and Executive Vice President, Eli Velazquez. To further honor the beloved commentator, Telemundo’s on-air celebration featured a video essay voiced by Andres Cantor’s son, sports broadcaster Nicolas Cantor, and finished with messages from Cantor’s family and close friends.

“We are so proud and honored to play a role in presenting the 2020 Colin Jose Media Award to our own Andres Cantor. To create this experience for him on-air is a testament to how much love and appreciation we all have for his work, his contributions to the network and his friendship,” said Telemundo Deportes’ President, Ray Warren. “Over the past 20 years, Andres has played a pivotal role in shaping Telemundo’s world-class sports coverage, and we look forward to his continued success as part of Telemundo Deportes. No one is more deserving.”

“Thank you to my family at Telemundo, to my family, to the National Soccer Hall of Fame and to my friends at U.S. Soccer. I’m truly speechless. Sincere thank you to everyone who participated in this tribute, from Tab [Ramos] in Houston to all the people who have grown soccer in this country,” said Andres Cantor, Telemundo Deportes’ Sports Commentator and 2020 Colin Jose Media Award recipient. “The requirement to win this award is to have contributed to the coverage of the United States team, and we fervently believe that we have done so since its infancy. For that I am proud, and humbly accept this recognition. Thank you, U.S. Soccer; thank you, National Soccer Hall of Fame for this distinguished honor.”

Upon joining Telemundo in 2000, Cantor became the first Hispanic broadcaster to call matches in English for NBC’s coverage of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, calling soccer matches for both the Men’s and Women’s U.S. National Teams. Four years later, Cantor debuted as commentator for Telemundo’s historic coverage of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens which marked the first time ever a Spanish-language network in the United States covered one of the most important global sporting events in the world from beginning to end. Since Telemundo secured rights to the FIFA World Cup, Cantor has led the network’s coverage for two FIFA Women’s World Cup (2015 & 2019) and the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018.

“All of us at U.S. Soccer would like to congratulate Andres on winning the Colin Jose Media Award,” said U.S. Soccer CEO and Secretary General Will Wilson. “Andres is a broadcasting legend in every sense of the word and has made a remarkable impact on the game in our country. We’re honored that he’s been part of some of the greatest moments in U.S. Soccer history.”

The Colin Jose Media Award was created to honor the contributions of members of the print and electronic media, including reporters, columnists, authors, broadcasters, editors, public/media relations professionals and others who specialize in communications with respect to soccer in the United States. The award is named for Colin Jose, Historian Emeritus of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and the preeminent soccer historian of North America.

 

Skip to content