Landon Donovan, the former joint all-time leading goal scorer for the US men’s national team, is making the media rounds with a simple message: don’t waste this. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted on American soil, and Donovan believes the USMNT has the ingredients to turn home-field advantage into something the country hasn’t seen in over three decades.
The last time the US hosted a World Cup was 1994. That tournament filled stadiums, surprised skeptics, and gave American soccer a jolt of legitimacy. Donovan wants the 2026 edition to do far more than that.
Home crowd, home rules
In various interviews and podcast appearances conducted between May and June 2026, Donovan has been vocal about the USMNT’s favorable position heading into the tournament. His core argument is straightforward: if the team starts strong in group play, feeds off the energy of a home crowd, and builds early momentum, they can “compete with anybody.”
Donovan’s point is that the USMNT needs to treat this as a once-in-a-generation window, not just another tournament cycle. Finishing first in the group, rather than scraping through as a second-place qualifier, would set up a more favorable bracket path.
