Donovan, the most celebrated US men’s national team player in history, is ready for the future of the program.
Landon Donovan knows the future is coming for his status as the best US men’s soccer player ever. Time never stops, and nothing has made that more clear than watching the World Cup as a fan for the first time since he was a teenager.
Donovan wasn’t part of the group that ultimately failed to beat Trinadad and Tobago and missed qualification for this year’s World Cup in Russia. But like fellow USMNT legend Tim Horward, he’s feeling the sting of disappointment just like everyone else. The national team is at a crossroads of sorts, and Donovan agrees the best direction for the team to take is by going young.
The former Everton and LA Galaxy forward has reason to be optimistic about the future of soccer in America, both for the national team and the soccer in the nation itself. The World Cup is coming to North America, soccer continues to grow, and a young crop of players have the chance to take the reigns of the sport stateside.
Donovan talked with Uproxx on the day the World Cup kicked off in Russia with the host nation facing Saudi Arabia. He spoke about his time in Mexico and how it’s framed this World Cup, a tournament where he also wants to see Mexico do well. He explained why supporting CONCACAF teams is important, what it means to host the 2026 tournament, and gave his favorite story about scoring the biggest goal of his career against Algeria in 2010.
