Canada Soccer Hall of Fame adds Peter Greco and George Pakos to the Class of 2026

The Canada Soccer Hall of Fame has added National Team heroes Peter Greco and George Pakos to this year’s induction Class of 2026 in the Past Players category. Goalkeeper Greco was a one-time Canada record holder for international appearances while Pakos was the scoring superstar of Canada’s march to the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

Greco and Pakos join National Team heroes Julian de Guzman and Dr. Melissa Tancredi as part of the Class of 2026. Both de Guzman and Tancredi were honoured through the Modern Canadian Players voting category which is conducted in January each year.

"Peter Greco and George Pakos represent two defining eras of Canada’s Men’s National Team" says Peter Augruso, Canada Soccer President. "Peter’s commitment during a formative period, including World Cup and Olympic qualifying campaigns, helped lay critical foundations for the program, while George’s leadership as a Concacaf champion guided Canada to its first FIFA World Cup in 1986. Together, their legacy extends beyond the pitch, shaping the belief and ambition of Canadian soccer for generations."

Alongside their National Team careers, both Greco and Pakos were national champions with their respective clubs from British Columbia. Greco was also a league MVP in the old Quebec National Soccer League (before he moved to British Columbia) while Pakos was an MVP in the Vancouver Island League in the same year he won the National Championships.

The Canada Soccer Hall of Fame celebrates the achievements and traditions of the game in Canada. It helps capture and preserve the history of sport in our nation, honouring former Canadian players, referees, coaches and builders of the game. To date, the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame has welcomed 151 players, 11 referees, 13 officials and 45 builders as honoured members. Honoured members, by their achievements and passion, have made a positive impact to soccer in Canada and have left a legacy for the sport in our country and around the world.

PETER GRECO

Peter Greco represented Canada in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, two cycles of Olympic Qualifiers, and two editions of the Pan American Games. He made 19 international appearances across eight years from 1967 to 1974 with Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team, including three international “A” appearances in 1968 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. He was the first Canadian goalkeeper to register clean sheets in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers (twice against Bermuda) and he briefly held the Canadian record for all-time appearances in August 1971. He was one of Canada’s goalkeepers for a sensational 3:2 win over hosts Colombia at the 1971 Pan American Games in Cali with more than 50,000 spectators in the crowd at the Estadio Pascual Guerrero.

Greco was a three-time National Championships winner with Vancouver Columbus FC, including back-to-back national titles in 1977 and 1978. He was a three-time league winner and two-time playoff winner in the old Pacific Coast League and then a six-time winner in the BC League. He started his career as a goalkeeper in Montreal, won a Montreal junior league title in 1963, won a national silver medal with the Quebec all-stars in 1966, and won league MVP honours in the Quebec National League where he played for US Superga St-Viateur in 1966. After his move out west, he won a national silver medal in 1968, then his first of three national titles in 1969. He played on all-star teams in Montreal and Vancouver, played a pro season with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and was later honoured by the Soccer Hall of Fame of British Columbia.

GEORGE PAKOS

George Pakos was a Concacaf champion who led Canada to their first appearance at the FIFA World Cup in 1986. He made 33 international appearances across five years from 1983 to 1987 with Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team, including 23 international “A” appearances. Ahead of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, he ranked fourth all time with 10 international goals, half of which were scored in “A” matches. His two biggest goals were scored on the road to Mexico 1986 against Honduras: his first and most important for a 1:0 away win in front of 37,000 fans at Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino in Tegucigalpa; his second at historic King George V Park in St. John’s on the day that Canada qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

Pakos won Canada Soccer’s National Championships in 1975 when he led Victoria London Boxing Athletic Club (later known as the Athletics) to their first and only national title. He won Rookie of the Year honours in the last season of the old Pacific Coast League, then won multiple league titles in the strong Vancouver Island League of the 1970s and early 1980s. He won league MVP honours in 1975 and Victoria Sports Athlete of the Year honours in 1986. In his run to the 1975 national title, he scored in the interprovincial playoff, the national Semifinals, and the Canadian Final, which was a 3:1 victory for Victoria over the St. Lawrence Laurentians from Newfoundland & Labrador. Pakos wrapped up his career with the Victoria Vistas in the old Canadian Soccer League and was later honoured by the Victoria Sports Hall of Fame and the Soccer Hall of Fame of British Columbia.

To learn more about Greco, Pakos and the countless others who helped grow the beautiful game in BC, visit the BC Soccer Hall of Fame & Heritage Archive.