Landon Donovan Has Watched American Soccer Grow for 30 Years. He Says This Summer Is Different.
Landon Donovan was in Inglewood last week, steps from SoFi Stadium, at a press event hosted by Raising Cane's at their new Flagship restaurant ahead of the World Cup. Before heading to Mexico City to call the opening match for FOX Sports, he sat with media and didn't hold back.
What came through wasn't scripted optimism. It was the perspective of someone who spent decades watching American soccer fight for legitimacy, and who now genuinely believes the ceiling has changed.
THE MOMENT AMERICAN SOCCER HAS BEEN BUILDING TOWARD
The United States last hosted the World Cup in 1994. That tournament planted a seed. MLS launched the following year. The women's team won on home soil in 1999 and ignited something. The growth since then has been uneven, but it has never stopped.
Donovan has been at the center of that story longer than most. All-time leading scorer. All-time assists leader. Multiple World Cups. He helped turn club soccer into something American sports fans followed closely. Now, with his playing days behind him and a broadcast career in full swing, he gets to watch the whole thing come back home.
"Soccer is unlike any sport and is much more popular than it's ever been," he said. "The players will be feeling nervous but excited. And I'm the same way - nervous, excited, and optimistic."
Donovan has personal stakes in how American soccer is perceived. He knows better than anyone what this tournament could mean for the culture long after the final whistle.
WHAT HOSTING ACTUALLY CHANGES
There is a real difference between watching the World Cup on television and experiencing it in your city. Fans who would never seek out an MLS match will spend the next several weeks surrounded by international supporters, watching the world's best players compete nearby. That exposure matters. It converts casual observers into invested fans and creates a generation of kids who grew up with a World Cup in their backyard.
"It's amazing to see everything in LA," Donovan said. "I'm a proud Angeleno. I love this city."
THE USMNT'S ROLE IN ALL OF THIS
A deep run by the United States men's national team would accelerate everything, the fan base, the culture, the mainstream staying power the sport has always been chasing. Donovan isn't making guarantees, but he isn't hedging either.
The infrastructure is there. The talent pipeline is there. The venues are ready. What this tournament offers is something harder to manufacture: concentrated national attention, delivered at home, in front of a world audience.
Donovan has spent his career making the case that American soccer belongs on the world stage. This summer, the world stage comes to him.
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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 3:59 PM.