Landon Donovan

Landon Donovan was an American professional footballer who played at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. It was really a footnote to one of the greatest careers in USA soccer history. A striker, Donovan began playing as a youth and attended the IMG Academy on Bradenton, Florida. He never attended college but turned pro in 1999 with Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga. He played with them for six years but also was loaned out during that time to the San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer (MLS).

In 2005 Donovan signed with the LA Galaxy of MLS and played with them for 11 years. He was loaned out during that time, however, to Bayern Munich and Everton in the Premier League. Donovan finished his career in 2018-19 playing with León and then a year of indoor soccer with the San Diego Sockers. During his club career he scored 161 goals in 412 matches.

Internationally Donovan played for the senior US Men’s National Team from 2000-14, appearing in 157 matches and scoring 57 goals. He also played for the USA in U-17 and U-20 tournaments early in his career. Donovan helped the USA win the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2002, 2005, 2007, and 2013, and had runner-up finishes in 2011 and at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He played at the 2002, 2006, and 2010 FIFA World Cups. At the 2002 World Cup he was named the Best Young Player.

Donovan won a record six MLS Cups and is the league’s all-time assists leader with 136. The league MVP Award was renamed the Landon Donovan MVP Award in his honor. As of 2023 he is the league’s all-time assists leader and is tied with Clint Dempsey as the all-time leader in scoring. He later co-founded and was a vice-president of the San Diego Loyal SC and worked as their manager from 2020-22. Donovan has since worked in television broadcasting football (soccer) matches, usually as a studio announcer.

Donovan is often considered the greatest ever American soccer player and was ranked as such by both ESPN and Major League Soccer. He was named US Soccer Athlete of the Year four times and was a seven-time winner of the Honda Player of the Year Award.