Landon Timothy Donovan (born March 4, 1982) is an American former professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
player. Donovan is also the co-founder and vice-president of soccer operations for
USL Championship
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, p ...
side
San Diego Loyal SC
San Diego Loyal Soccer Club is an American professional soccer team based in San Diego, California. The team was founded by Warren Smith and Landon Donovan. San Diego Loyal made its debut in 2020 as an expansion team in the USL Championship.
...
, and serves as strategic advisor for English side
Lincoln City. He was voted as the best U.S. soccer player of all time by a poll conducted by
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
,
along with
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
having ranked Donovan as the greatest American soccer player of all time.
A former
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
, he holds numerous individual records in
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
(MLS) and for the
United States national team and is regarded as the greatest U.S. men's soccer player of all time. Donovan signed for
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, also known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen (), Bayer Leverkusen, or simply Leverkusen, is a professional football club based in Leverkusen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Bundesliga, t ...
in 1999. In 2005, after six years with Leverkusen, the majority of which were spent on
loan
In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that d ...
with the
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchise ...
of MLS, Donovan moved back to the United States permanently to sign with the
Los Angeles Galaxy
LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pla ...
. He later returned to Germany for a loan with
Bayern Munich, and twice went on short loans to English
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
club
Everton in 2010 and 2012. He retired as a player in 2014, but made a brief comeback with LA Galaxy late in the 2016 season and then in 2018 to play for
Club León
Club León Fútbol Club, also known as León, is a Mexican professional football club based in León, Guanajuato, that competes in the Liga MX, the top flight of Mexican football.
León has won the Primera División de México/Liga MX title ...
. He further played one season with the
San Diego Sockers San Diego Sockers may refer to:
*San Diego Sockers (1978–1996)
The San Diego Sockers were a soccer and indoor soccer team based in San Diego, California. The team played in the indoor and outdoor editions of the North American Soccer League ( ...
of the
Major Arena Soccer League
The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) is a North American professional indoor soccer league. The MASL features teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico.
MASL is the highest level of arena soccer in North America. MASL players ...
.
In MLS, Donovan won a record six
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference ...
s and is the league's all-time assists leader with 136.
The Major League Soccer MVP Award has been renamed the
Landon Donovan MVP Award in his honor.
For the
United States men's national team, Donovan is the
all-time leader in assists and tied with
Clint Dempsey
Clinton Drew Dempsey (; born March 9, 1983) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward and midfielder. During his career, he played in the Premier League for Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur and in Major League Soccer ...
as all-time leader in scoring, and is the second-most-
cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...
ped player of his country. Donovan is the only American player to reach the 50 goals/50 assists mark.
He is a four-time winner of the
U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award (the only man to do so and the first man to win in consecutive years), as well as the only seven-time winner of the
Honda Player of the Year
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
award. Donovan starred in the U.S. team that reached the quarter-finals of the
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...
where he received the
Best Young Player Award. His three goals in the
2010 World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
made Donovan the highest-scoring male American player in World Cup history and one of the three male American players to score in more than one
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
, along with
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride (born June 19, 1972) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward for Columbus Crew, Fulham and Chicago Fire. He is the fifth-highest all-time leading goalscorer for the United States national team.
For m ...
and
Clint Dempsey
Clinton Drew Dempsey (; born March 9, 1983) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward and midfielder. During his career, he played in the Premier League for Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur and in Major League Soccer ...
.
Early life and education
Landon Timothy Donovan was born (along with twin sister Tristan) on March 4, 1982, in
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County in the U.S. state of California, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, ...
, to Donna Kenney-Cash, an American
special education
Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...
teacher, and Tim Donovan, a semi-professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
player originally from Canada. Donovan's parents are both of Irish descent, and he holds Canadian citizenship by way of his father.
His mother raised Landon and his siblings in
Redlands, California, and he attended
Redlands East Valley High School
Redlands East Valley High School is a public English medium co-educational high school in Redlands, California, United States, near the San Bernardino Mountains. The school opened in the 1997-1998 school year as part of the Redlands Unified Sc ...
when not engaged in soccer activities elsewhere.
Donovan first played soccer with his older brother and when Donovan was six, his mother allowed him to join an organized league, where he scored seven goals in his first match.
[ Donovan was a member of Cal Heat – a club based in nearby ]Rancho Cucamonga, California
Rancho Cucamonga ( ) is a city located just south of the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest in San Bernardino County, California, United States. About east of Downtown Los Angeles, Rancho Cucamonga is the 28th ...
. In 1997, he was accepted into U.S. Youth Soccer's Olympic Development Program. In 1999 Donovan attended the IMG Academy
IMG Academy is a preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. IMG Academy is set across over 600 acres and features programs consisting of sport camps for youth athletes, adult camps, a board ...
in Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698.
History
Late 18th and early 19th centuries ...
, with other members of the U-17 national team as part of U.S. Soccer's youth development program. Donovan was a member of the inaugural class of the U.S. Soccer youth residency program in Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698.
History
Late 18th and early 19th centuries ...
. He was named Player of the Tournament for his role in the United States under-17 squad that finished fourth in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship before signing with German club Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, also known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen (), Bayer Leverkusen, or simply Leverkusen, is a professional football club based in Leverkusen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Bundesliga, t ...
later that year.
Club career
Bayer Leverkusen and San Jose Earthquakes
Later in 1999, Donovan signed a six-year contract for German Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
club Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, also known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen (), Bayer Leverkusen, or simply Leverkusen, is a professional football club based in Leverkusen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Bundesliga, t ...
, whose sporting director Michael Reschke spotted him at a youth tournament in Europe. Despite becoming a regular starter for the club's reserve team upon arrival, Donovan had trouble adapting to life overseas and was allowed extended training periods with United States youth national teams. He played in a German Cup match for the reserve team. Unhappy with his situation with Leverkusen, Donovan was loaned to the San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchise ...
of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
(MLS) for the 2001 season. In MLS, Donovan had immediate success, leading the Earthquakes to MLS Cup championships in 2001 and 2003 and becoming one of the only recognizable faces of soccer in America. In four years in the league, he scored 32 goals and 29 assists in league play, and ten goals and six assists in the playoffs. Two of those goals were in the 2003 MLS Cup, a 4–2 Earthquakes triumph over Chicago Fire SC
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
. Donovan earned Man of the Match for his actions. He was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2003.
In 2004, Donovan became the first man to be named the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year three years in a row before returning to the Bayer Leverkusen first team in January 2005. After playing seven matches with Leverkusen in the 2004–05 season, only two of which were starts, Donovan requested to leave the club. Despite a late offer from English Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
club Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
, Donovan expressed a desire to return to the United States. Upon his re-entry to MLS, San Jose was denied the chance to re-sign Donovan because Earthquakes general manager Alexi Lalas
Panayotis Alexander "Alexi" Lalas ( el, Αλέξης Λάλας; born June 1, 1970) is an American retired soccer player who played mostly as a defender. Lalas is best known for his participation with the United States men's national soccer te ...
had traded away his rights. LA Galaxy
LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pl ...
, his hometown team, were able to trade leading scorer Carlos Ruiz to FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes as a member of the Western Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). The franchise began play in 1996 as a charter club of the le ...
to get on top of the MLS allocation order as Donovan prepared to leave Germany.
LA Galaxy
2005–2014
Donovan signed a multi-year contract with LA Galaxy, making him the highest-paid American player in the league. In his first season at the club, Donovan scored 12 league goals with 10 assists and added four goals and an assist in the playoffs as LA Galaxy won the MLS Cup (his third MLS championship to date). He was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI The Major League Soccer All-Time Best XI was selected In 2005 as part of the league's tenth anniversary celebrations. Major League Soccer, the top soccer league in the United States, named its All-Time Best XI, a selection of the best eleven playe ...
after the season. In his second season with LA Galaxy, Donovan scored 12 league goals and 8 assists. He also scored three goals in the Open Cup. Despite this, Donovan and LA Galaxy failed to make the playoffs and lost in the Open Cup to Chicago Fire SC. Donovan's playoff goals make him MLS' second all-time leading scorer in the playoffs with 14, behind Carlos Ruiz's 15.
Donovan had a mixed year with LA Galaxy in 2007. Upon the signing and arrival of David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham (; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the current president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Known for his range of passing, crossing ability and bending fr ...
, Donovan relinquished his captaincy to the English superstar. In the 2007 SuperLiga tournament, Donovan was the top scorer. He scored a goal in every match except for the final. He scored six goals in five matches. At this point in his career, Donovan had 84 all-time regular season goals putting him in seventh place on the league's all-time scoring list. Although the 2008 season was a disappointment for LA Galaxy, it was a banner year for Donovan as he scored 20 goals and 9 assists in 25 matches, forming a strong offensive partnership with David Beckham and Edson Buddle
Edson Michael Buddle (born May 21, 1981) is an American retired Footballer who is currently the head coach of USL League Two side Westchester Flames. He is one of only 11 players to have scored 100 goals in Major League Soccer history.
Buddle ...
.[
After his former national team manager ]Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena (born September 21, 1951) is an American soccer coach who is the head coach and sporting director of the New England Revolution.
He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and the NJCAA Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Arena has had ...
was named LA Galaxy head coach and Beckham joined Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
on loan in early 2009, Donovan once again was given the club captaincy on a permanent basis. In July 2009, Donovan received praise and criticism for his critical comments about Beckham in ''Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' journalist Grant Wahl
Grant Wahl (December 2, 1973 – December 10, 2022) was an American sports journalist and soccer analyst for CBS Sports, a senior writer for ''Sports Illustrated'' and a correspondent for Fox Sports, based in New Yorkers in journalism, New York ...
's book '' The Beckham Experiment'', calling Beckham a poor captain and teammate. He later apologized to Beckham for discussing his concerns to a reporter rather than to him directly. The two reconciled upon Beckham's mid-season return to Los Angeles and Donovan enjoyed an outstanding 2009 campaign, winning the league's Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
and MLS Goal of The Year 2009 award and leading LA Galaxy to MLS Cup 2009
MLS Cup 2009 was the 14th edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS). The soccer match took place on November 22, 2009, at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington, and was contested between the Los Angeles Galaxy an ...
, which they lost on penalties. Following the season, Donovan agreed to a four-year extension to his contract with LA Galaxy, with clauses that allow him to seek loans during the MLS offseason. On August 1, 2010, Donovan scored the 100th goal of his MLS career. On September 18, 2010, he became the all-time leading scorer for LA Galaxy.
LA Galaxy had another successful campaign in 2010 winning the Supporters' Shield for the first time since 2003. In that campaign, Donovan scored 7 goals and a team-high 16 assists. In the playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, LA Galaxy would ultimately succumb to FC Dallas in the semi-finals.
In 2011, LA Galaxy again won the MLS Supporter's Shield. In the 2011 MLS Cup, Donovan scored the title-clinching goal in the 72nd minute over the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...
, securing his fourth MLS Cup title.
Donovan was named the MLS Cup MVP.
In October 2012, Donovan expressed his desire to take a break from his professional soccer career, citing physical and mental exhaustion as the main reasons. In LA Galaxy's next match, the 2012 MLS Cup, a rematch with Houston, Donovan converted a penalty kick in the 65th minute of play to give LA a 2–1 lead. The goal was Donovan's fifth in MLS Cup Finals. LA Galaxy went on to win their second straight MLS Cup, 3–1.
Donovan returned to training with LA Galaxy on March 25, 2013, and made his season debut five days later against Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BMO ...
, coming on as a 61st-minute substitute. However, upon his return, it was announced he would be forced to relinquish the captaincy to Robbie Keane for the 2013 season. He scored two goals against Chivas USA
Chivas USA (pronounced ''CHEE-vahs'') was an American professional soccer team based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club played from 2005 to 2014 in Major League Soccer (MLS) and was a subsidiary of Mexican club C.D. Guada ...
, tying him with Jeff Cunningham
Jeff Cunningham (born August 21, 1976) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward. He is Major League Soccer's third-all-time leader in regular-season goals scored with 134.
Youth and college
Cunningham was born ...
together as the top MLS goalscorer with 134 goals. On May 25, 2014, Donovan scored twice against the Philadelphia Union
The Philadelphia Union are an American professional soccer club based in Chester, Pennsylvania. The Union compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded on February 28, 2008, the club began playing in 201 ...
to break Cunningham's record of 134, making Donovan MLS's All-Time leading goalscorer with 136 goals. On August 6, 2014, he scored the winning goal at the 2014 MLS All-Star Game
The 2014 AT&T Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 19th annual Major League Soccer All-Star Game. It took place on August 6, 2014 at Providence Park, the home of MLS club Portland Timbers. The game was televised live on ESPN2 and UniMás ...
, putting the ball past Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer
Manuel Peter Neuer (; born 27 March 1986) is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper and captains both club Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the ...
at the 70th minute, he was subsequently substituted for Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City, often shortened to Sporting KC, is an American men's professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and t ...
striker Dom Dwyer
Dominic James Dwyer (born July 30, 1990) is a professional soccer player who plays as a forward. Born in England, he represented the United States national team.
While in England, Dwyer represented, among other teams, Norwich City as a youth ...
and gave the captain's armband to Canadian international Will Johnson. On August 7, 2014, Donovan announced he would be retiring at the end of the 2014 Major League Soccer season; the season ended with LA Galaxy winning their fourth MLS Cup of the Donovan era on December 7, 2014.
Loans to other clubs
In November 2008, Donovan trained with Bayern Munich, before joining the German club on loan until the start of the 2009 MLS season in mid-March. During his stay with Bayern, Donovan had appearances in five friendly matches
An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...
, in which he scored four goals, six league matches and one DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It is considered ...
match. At the end of the loan period, Bayern declined to extend his loan.
After the 2009 MLS season had finished, Donovan joined English Premier League side Everton on loan in January 2010, though there was strong suggestions he could join his American teammates at Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
. During this period, he played in 13 matches in all competitions, scored two goals and was named the club's Player of the Month for January. Everton were keen on extending his loan deal, but LA Galaxy refused, and Donovan returned to the U.S. in time for the start of the 2010 MLS season.
An agreement was reached in December 2011 for Donovan to spend another two months at Everton beginning in January 2012. He made his returning debut on January 4, 2012, against Bolton Wanderers, a 2–1 defeat. In his third match on loan, he assisted Everton's only goal in a 1–1 draw against Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
on January 14. On January 27, he assisted in both goals in a 2–1 win over Fulham in the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
fourth round proper. On January 31, he assisted in Darron Gibson
Darron Thomas Daniel Gibson (born 25 October 1987) is an Irish professional footballer who last played as a midfielder for League Two club Salford City, and formerly for the Republic of Ireland national team.
Born in Derry, Northern Ireland, ...
's winning goal over Manchester City. Donovan took his tally of assists to seven when he assisted Denis Stracqualursi
Denis Andrés Stracqualursi (born 20 October 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Unión de Sunchales.
Career
Stracqualursi started his playing career in 2007 with Unión de Sunchales in the 3rd division ...
's goal in a 2–0 victory over Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
on February 11.
Return to LA Galaxy
On September 8, 2016, Donovan announced his return from retirement and officially signed with LA Galaxy for the remainder of the 2016 season (six regular season games and any consecutive play-off matches).
Donovan explained that the injuries sustained by the club late in the season led to his decision to return:
Two weeks ago, I was working as an analyst on the LA Galaxy vs. Vancouver Whitecaps match and during that game, LA Galaxy suffered injuries to three players: Jelle Van Damme, Steven Gerrard and Gyasi Zardes. Over the next few days, Nigel De Jong was transferred to Galatasaray and news broke that Gyasi would be out for the rest of the season.
Since my retirement, I have remained in close contact with many of the staff and players on LA Galaxy. I spoke with some of them that week and they jokingly asked if I was ready to make a return to the field to help fill some of the void left by the injuries and departures.
I reminded them that I haven't played a meaningful soccer game in almost two years and I certainly couldn't fill the holes left by those players. Over the ensuing days, I began to think about their inquiries and it struck me that perhaps this is something I should consider. I care so deeply about the Galaxy organization, and I believe I could help in a small way to aid the team in its quest for a sixth MLS championship.
On September 11, 2016, Donovan entered the match against Orlando City as a substitute on the 83rd minute. As his traditional number 10 was worn by Giovani dos Santos
Giovani dos Santos Ramírez ( ; born 11 May 1989) is a Mexican professional footballer. A versatile forward, dos Santos can play as an attacking midfielder, winger, and secondary striker. He is an Olympic gold medalist.
Dos Santos began hi ...
, Donovan selected number 26, which he wore at Bayer Leverkusen when he began his career in 1999.
Donovan scored a goal in his second match after returning to LA Galaxy. On September 18, 2016, he came on as a substitute in the 74th minute in a match against Sporting Kansas City and scored two minutes later to tie the game 2–2.
Altogether, Donovan played in all six remaining matches of the 2016 regular season, as well as in all three play-off matches. He started in five of them and scored one goal. At the end of the play-off run, Donovan retired for the second time.
Club León
On January 12, 2018, Donovan signed with Liga MX
The Liga MX, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football division in Mexico, holding 2 tournaments per year.
The league is considered the strongest in North America, and among the strongest in a ...
team Club León
Club León Fútbol Club, also known as León, is a Mexican professional football club based in León, Guanajuato, that competes in the Liga MX, the top flight of Mexican football.
León has won the Primera División de México/Liga MX title ...
, having returned from retirement for a second time. He made his Liga MX debut on February 10, 2018, coming on as a substitute in the 83rd minute of León's 2–1 victory over Club Puebla
Club Puebla, formerly Puebla F.C. is a Mexican professional football club based in the city of Puebla, competing in the Liga MX. Known as ''La Franja'' ("The Striped Ones"), the team shirt features a diagonal stripe (traditionally blue on white ...
. He scored his first goal for the club on March 24, 2018, in a friendly against his former team, the San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchise ...
On June 17, 2018, Club León announced they had decided to terminate Donovan's contract early.
San Diego Sockers
On January 24, 2019, Donovan signed with the San Diego Sockers San Diego Sockers may refer to:
*San Diego Sockers (1978–1996)
The San Diego Sockers were a soccer and indoor soccer team based in San Diego, California. The team played in the indoor and outdoor editions of the North American Soccer League ( ...
in the Major Arena Soccer League
The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) is a North American professional indoor soccer league. The MASL features teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico.
MASL is the highest level of arena soccer in North America. MASL players ...
. He provided an assist in a 6–4 win over the Tacoma Stars during his MASL debut on February 15 in front of a record crowd in Pechanga Arena San Diego
Pechanga Arena (historically known as the San Diego Sports Arena) is an indoor arena built in 1966 and located in the Midway area of San Diego, California.
The arena seats 12,000 for indoor football, 12,920 for ice hockey, indoor soccer a ...
. He scored his first two goals for the Sockers in the next game for a 13–2 win over Turlock Express
Turlock Cal Express is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Turlock, California. They joined the Major Arena Soccer League (then Professional Arena Soccer League) in 2011 and are currently members of the Major Arena Soccer League ...
, opening the scoring after just 12 seconds. Donovan was named to MASL's Week 14 Team of the Week and also named him as a 2018–2019 All-MASL Top Newcomer.
International career
Donovan was a member of the inaugural class at U.S. Soccer's full-time residency program for the under-17 national team at the IMG Academy
IMG Academy is a preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. IMG Academy is set across over 600 acres and features programs consisting of sport camps for youth athletes, adult camps, a board ...
in Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698.
History
Late 18th and early 19th centuries ...
. In his two years playing for the U-17 team, he scored 35 goals in 41 games and won the Golden Ball at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship as the tournament's best player. He also represented the United States at the 1999 Pan American Games. In 2000, he moved up to both the United States U-23 men's national soccer team
The United States U-23 men's national soccer team, also known as the United States men's Olympic soccer team, is a youth soccer team operated under the auspices of U.S. Soccer. Its primary role is qualification into and competition at the quadri ...
as well as the senior team. Despite this he played for the United States U-20 men's national soccer team
The United States U-20 men's national soccer team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation. The highest level of competition in which the team competes is the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is held every two years.
The United States' b ...
in 2001. On March 20, 2001, he was involved in a collision with Marvin Lee, the captain of Trinidad and Tobago U-20 team during the 2001 CONCACAF U-20 Tournament in Trinidad. Lee collided head to side with Donovan which resulted in Lee being paralyzed after sustaining neck and spine injuries, while Donovan had fractured ribs. Lee died in 2003 from complications caused by his condition, the stadium now carries his name
His or HIS may refer to:
Computing
* Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company
* Honeywell Information Systems
* Hybrid intelligent system
* Microsoft Host Integration Server
Education
* Hangzhou International School, in ...
.
Donovan made his World Cup finals debut in the 2002 World Cup starting in the shock upset of pre-tournament favorites Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, a match the Americans won 3–2. Donovan's cross in the 29th minute deflected in off Jorge Costa
Jorge Paulo Costa Almeida (born 14 October 1971) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a central defender, currently manager of Académico de Viseu.
Nicknamed ''Bicho'' (animal) and ''Tanque'' (tank) by his colleagues and fans for ...
, giving the U.S. a 2–0 lead. Later, Donovan would tally his first World Cup finals goal in the 83rd minute of a 3–1 loss to Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
in the third match of the group stage. He then scored his second goal of the tournament on a header which clinched a 2–0 round of 16 victory for the Americans over arch-rival Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. Though the U.S. would go on to lose 1–0 to Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
in the quarter-finals, Donovan would later be named Best Young Player of the tournament.
Donovan was a member of the U.S. squad at the 2006 World Cup, in which the Americans were eliminated in the group stage. Failing to provide any goals or assists throughout the three matches, he was widely criticized by American viewers for his performance. The following year, he led the U.S. to the 2007 Gold Cup title with four goals, including a crucial penalty in the 2–1 victory over Mexico in the final. On January 19, 2008, Donovan scored his 35th international goal, a penalty against Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, and passed Eric Wynalda as the United States' all-time leading goal scorer. Donovan reached 100 caps at age 26 on June 8, 2008, in a friendly against Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
that ended in a 0–0 draw, becoming the fourth-youngest person to do so. Donovan captained the U.S. in the group stage of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup due to Carlos Bocanegra
Carlos Manuel Bocanegra (born May 25, 1979) is an American sports executive and former professional soccer player. A two-time MLS Defender of the Year, Bocanegra also played professionally in England, Scotland, France, and Spain. He earned over ...
's injury absence. Donovan scored on a penalty kick against Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, shortly after his team had been reduced to ten men, and scored for the U.S. in a 3–2 defeat to Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
in the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
. On October 10, 2009, Donovan scored on a free-kick, giving the U.S. a 3–2 victory over Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
in San Pedro Sula that clinched World Cup qualification.
Donovan played every minute of the U.S. campaign at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
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in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. He scored against Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
with a powerful close-range finish to begin a U.S. comeback for a 2–2 draw, and the only goal in the dying seconds of a 1–0 defeat of Algeria
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with a finish off a rebounded Clint Dempsey
Clinton Drew Dempsey (; born March 9, 1983) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward and midfielder. During his career, he played in the Premier League for Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur and in Major League Soccer ...
attempt, leading the U.S. to first place in their World Cup group for the first time since 1930. Donovan scored a penalty in the round of 16 against Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
as the U.S. lost 2–1 after extra time and were eliminated from the competition. His goals in South Africa made Donovan the highest scoring American male in World Cup history,[ and just the third American man to score in more than one World Cup, after ]Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride (born June 19, 1972) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward for Columbus Crew, Fulham and Chicago Fire. He is the fifth-highest all-time leading goalscorer for the United States national team.
For m ...
and Clint Dempsey. His total of five World Cup goals is the most for any man representing a team from CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football,, ; french: Confédération de football d'Amérique du Nord, d'Amérique centrale et des Caraïbes, . Dutch uses the English name. abbreviated as CONCACAF ( ; typese ...
.
After missing the first two World Cup qualifiers of 2013 due to his extended off-season sabbatical, Donovan was left off of the squad by Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann (, born 30 July 1964) is a German professional football manager and former player. Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe including VfB Stuttgart, Inter Milan, Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur, and Bayern Munich. He ...
for the June qualifying matches, despite having returned to playing full-time in March. However, Donovan was re-called to the national team for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup to be played in July. On July 5, 2013, he became the first U.S. player to reach the 50 international goal mark and the fourth man in CONCACAF to score 50 international goals after a brace against Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
in a warmup friendly before the Gold Cup. Four days later, Donovan became the first player to reach 50 goals and 50 assists for the United States during a 6–1 group stage victory in their 2013 Gold Cup opener against Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
in which he had one goal and two assists. After the U.S. won the Gold Cup title with a 1–0 victory over Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
, Donovan was awarded the tournament's Best Player trophy after tying for the tournament lead with five goals scored. He started every match of the tournament for the United States. Donovan was recalled to the full national squad for the first time in over a year for the U.S.'s September World Cup qualifying matches against Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
and Mexico. Donovan started and played 90 minutes in both games. With the U.S. needing a win over Mexico to clinch qualification, Donovan's corner kick assisted Eddie Johnson's go-ahead goal in the 57th minute. Then, in the 78th minute, Donovan scored off a low cross from Mix Diskerud
Mikkel Morgenstar Pålssønn "Mix" Diskerud (born October 2, 1990) is a professional association football, soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Cypriot club AC Omonia, Omonia. Born in Norway, he represented the United States men's nationa ...
to make the score 2–0, and effectively seal the win, and the World Cup berth.
In May 2014, Donovan was named in the preliminary squad for the 2014 World Cup and joined the team in training camp. However, on May 22, 2014, he was controversially omitted from the final U.S. squad by manager Jürgen Klinsmann. Donovan's absence from the team even became the comedic subject of a PlayStation Commercial where Donovan makes light of his newly found free time. Klinsmann later called his decision "one of the toughest decisions in iscoaching career", but said, "I just think the other guys right now are a little bit ahead of him." Klinsmann's decision, which was described by media staff as abruptly timed after Klinsmann had previously promised to wait until after the team's friendly matches to announce cuts, saw additional controversy when Klinsmann's son Jonathan published and later deleted a post on Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that appeared to ridicule Donovan following the announcement.
On October 10, 2014, Donovan played his 157th and final match for the United States in a friendly against Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
in East Hartford, Connecticut
East Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 51,045 at the 2020 census. The town is located on the east bank of the Connecticut River, directly across from Hartford, Connecticut. It is home to aerosp ...
. The match was arranged by United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the federation is ...
president Sunil Gulati
Sunil Gulati ( ; born July 30, 1959) is an American sports administrator who presided over the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) from 2006 to 2018. On April 19, 2013, he was elected to a four-year term on the FIFA Council. In March 2014, he ...
to give Donovan a proper farewell, despite the disagreement between Donovan and Klinsmann. Following his retirement, he was named by ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' as the U.S. team's greatest ever player.
After playing in the Major Arena Soccer League
The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) is a North American professional indoor soccer league. The MASL features teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico.
MASL is the highest level of arena soccer in North America. MASL players ...
during the 2018–19 season, Donovan was named to the United States national arena soccer team ahead of a friendly against Mexico.
Style of play
Donovan was a versatile attacker known for his pace and stamina as well as intelligence and technical skill, allowing him to play at various forward and midfield
Midfield is the part of a sports field that lies approximately in the center. In American football, association football (soccer) and field hockey, it is the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region. In ...
positions at different points of his career. His longtime international and club manager Bruce Arena was once quoted as saying, "the problem with Landon is that he's your best player at so many positions that you never know where to put him."
Particularly in the early parts of his career, Donovan played as a withdrawn striker and was most noted for his quickness and goalscoring ability. As his professional career progressed, Donovan was increasingly utilized by managers as a wide attacking midfielder
A midfielder is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As #Cent ...
, where he could additionally benefit the team with his playmaking abilities, passing vision, and defensive work rate. Donovan also provided capable delivery on set pieces (as well as occasionally scoring from direct kicks) and served as first-choice penalty taker for club and country for much of his career.
Coaching career
MLS Homegrown Game
In July 2015, it was announced Donovan had been appointed as head coach for a team consisting of young MLS players for the 2015 MLS Homegrown Game. The game took place on July 28, 2015, at Dick's Sporting Goods Park
Dick's Sporting Goods Park, also known as DSG Park, is a soccer-specific stadium located in Commerce City, Colorado that is home to the Colorado Rapids men's professional soccer team. The stadium seats up to 18,061 people for soccer matches, bu ...
in Commerce City, Colorado
The City of Commerce City is a home rule municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 62,418 at the 2020 United States Census, a 35.95% increase since the 2010 United States Census. Commerce City is the ...
. Donovan led a team of MLS academy graduates, assembled just one day prior, to a 1–1 regulation tie, followed by a 4–5 shootout loss, as reported online. Donovan selected and coached the team a second time in the 2016 edition of the event.
San Diego Loyal SC
On November 14, 2019, Landon Donovan was named the inaugural manager of the San Diego Loyal
San Diego Loyal Soccer Club is an American professional Association football, soccer team based in San Diego, California. The team was founded by Warren Smith and Landon Donovan. San Diego Loyal made its debut in 2020 as an expansion team in the ...
, a team that he helped co-found and was the vice president of soccer operations. Noting that his hiring was a risk for the club because he had never coached before, Donovan surrounded himself with an experienced backroom staff. He brought on former coach Paul Buckle
Paul John Buckle (born 16 December 1970) is an English football manager. He is currently a technical advisor at Hartford Athletic of the USL and technical advisor to Landon Donovan at San Diego Loyal. Prior to this, he coached the U23s for Sout ...
and former United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) represents the United States in international women's Association football, soccer. The team is the most successful in international women's soccer, winning four FIFA Women's World Cup, Wom ...
player Shannon MacMillan
Shannon Ann MacMillan (born October 7, 1974) is an American retired soccer player, coach, FIFA Women's World Cup champion, Olympic gold and silver medalist. Named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year for 2002, MacMillan played for the United Stat ...
as senior advisors to his staff. While also bringing in experienced coaches in Carrie Taylor, Nate Miller, and Matt Hall to his staff. Donovan noted that he wanted a staff with experienced coaches because they could aid him with the day-to-day responsibilities with a coaching role that he was unfamiliar with.
During his first season in charge, Donovan lead San Diego to 6-5-5 record. Donovan and the Loyal garnered international headlines when they forfeited the last two matches of the season after having alleged instances of racial and homophobic abuse directed at their players by the Los Angeles Galaxy II and Phoenix Rising respectively went unpunished. After the second instance, where Phoenix Rising player Junior Flemmings
Junior Flemmings (born 16 January 1996) is a Jamaican professional Association football, footballer who plays as a winger (association football), winger and Forward (association football), forward for club Toulouse FC, Toulouse and the Jamaica ...
allegedly directed a homophobic slur against openly gay San Diego player Collin Martin
Collin Martin (born November 9, 1994) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for San Diego Loyal in the USL Championship. He has played for D.C. United and Minnesota United FC in Major League Soccer, and for Rich ...
, Donovan stated: "We went through a really hard incident in the LA match and we made a vow to ourselves, our community, our players, the club and the USL that we would not stand for bigotry, homophobic slurs and things that don't belong in our game. Our players in the heart and passion of the moment still wanted to play, but if we wanted to be true to who we are as a club, we have to speak and we have to act. After half-time we all decided if the player who used the homophobic slur was not removed from the game – either by the officials or by his coach – we would not play. If they are not willing to act, we have to act."
On December 2, 2022, Donovan was elevated to full-time Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations for Loyal. Associate head coach Nate Miller was promoted to head coach.
Off the field career
Broadcasting career
After being left off the 2014 World Cup roster for the United States, Donovan joined the ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
broadcast team for the World Cup as a studio analyst. After his retirement, Donovan became a color commentator for FOX Sports
Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world.
The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the Fo ...
, participating in the network's coverage of the United States–Ecuador quarter-final of the Copa América Centenario
The Copa América Centenario ( pt, Copa América Centenário, french: Coupe Amerique Centennaire, en, Centennial Cup America; literally ''Centennial America Cup'') was an international men's association football tournament that was hosted by the ...
.
San Diego Loyal SC (Ownership and Leadership)
Donovan, along with Warren Smith, a co-founder of Sacramento Republic FC
Sacramento Republic FC is an American professional soccer team based in Sacramento, California, that plays in the Western Conference of the USL Championship, the second level in US soccer. Co-founded by Warren Smith and Joe Wagoner in 2012, the ...
, founded a USL Championship
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, p ...
expansion team in June 2019. The team debuted in the USL Championship
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, p ...
in 2020. Warren Smith will be the president, while Donovan will be the executive vice president of soccer operations and head coach of the new club. Provisionally named USL San Diego, the team's name and crest would be developed through fan engagement and reflect the interests of the city. On November 2, 2019, the team announced their branding and naming themselves San Diego Loyal SC
San Diego Loyal Soccer Club is an American professional soccer team based in San Diego, California. The team was founded by Warren Smith and Landon Donovan. San Diego Loyal made its debut in 2020 as an expansion team in the USL Championship.
...
.
Lincoln City F.C.
On 17 June 2021, it was announced that Donovan would be joining Lincoln City as a Strategic Advisor, working with the Board, Chief Executive Liam Scully and Director of Football Jez George
Jeremy "Jez" George (born 24 January 1970) is a former English football manager who was Chief Executive Officer for Cambridge United in the Football League Two. He was also a prominent figure in the Cambridge United Youth & Community Trust. He has ...
to enhance the club's network and relationships, particularly within North America.
Personal life
Donovan married actress Bianca Kajlich on December 31, 2006; the couple separated in July 2009, and Donovan filed for divorce in December 2010. In May 2015, he married Hannah Bartell. They welcomed their first child, son Talon, in January 2016. Donovan has spoken publicly about dealing with depression throughout his life and career, and has criticized the professional sports world for its approach to mental health issues.
Since joining the Galaxy, Donovan has resided in Manhattan Beach, California. He speaks fluent Spanish, which he learned both in school and through playing in Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
clubs and leagues while growing up in California. He also speaks German as a result of his time spent in Germany. After his two brief stints playing for Everton in which he became a fan favorite, Donovan declared himself an "Evertonian for life".
He was featured on the North American covers of the '' FIFA 11'' and ''FIFA 12
''FIFA 12'' (titled ''FIFA Soccer 12'' in North America) is a football simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. It was released in September 2011 on consoles for PlayStat ...
'' video games.
In 2016, Donovan became a part owner of Welsh football club Swansea City, joining several other Americans in an investment group that has a majority stake in the club.
Donovan revealed during the 2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
that he was a fan of fierce rival Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
in the absence of the United States national team, having been sponsored to do so by Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United States and intern ...
. He was widely criticized, including from his former international teammate Carlos Bocanegra
Carlos Manuel Bocanegra (born May 25, 1979) is an American sports executive and former professional soccer player. A two-time MLS Defender of the Year, Bocanegra also played professionally in England, Scotland, France, and Spain. He earned over ...
, who Donovan responded back that he should "remember where you came from" in reference to Bocanegra's Mexican heritage.
In 2020, Donovan appeared as a contestant on the game show '' Game On!''
Career statistics
Club
International
Coaching statistics
Honors
San Jose Earthquakes
* MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference ...
: 2001, 2003
LA Galaxy
* MLS Cup: 2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, 2014
* Supporters' Shield: 2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
* Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a knockout cup competition in men's soccer in the United States of America. It is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in that country.
The 2023 U.S. O ...
: 2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
United States
* FIFA Confederations Cup
The FIFA Confederations Cup was an international association football tournament for men's national teams, held every four years by FIFA. It was contested by the holders of each of the six continental championships ( AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, ...
: runner-up 2009
* CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...
: 2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
, 2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, 2007, 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
Individual
* U.S. Soccer Young Athlete of the Year: 2000
* U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year: 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010
* Best Male Soccer Player ESPY Award: 2002
* Best MLS Player ESPY Award
The Best MLS Player ESPY Award is an annual award honoring the achievements of an individual from the world of Major League Soccer (MLS). It was first awarded as part of the ESPY Awards in 2006. The Best MLS Player ESPY Award trophy, designed b ...
: 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
* Honda Player of the Year
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
* FIFA U-17 World Cup
The FIFA U-17 World Cup, founded as the FIFA U-16 World Championship, later changed to U-17 in 1991 and to its current name in 2007, is the world championship of association football for male players under the age of 17 organized by ''Fédération ...
Golden Ball: 1999
* FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award: 2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
* FIFA World Cup All-Star Team
At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament, several awards are presented to the players and teams who have distinguished themselves in various aspects of the game.
Awards
*There are currently five post-tournament awards from the FIFA ...
: 2002 (Reserve)
* CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...
Best XI: 2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
, 2003, 2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
; Honorable Mention: 2007
* CONCACAF Gold Cup MVP: 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
* CONCACAF Gold Cup top scorer: 2003, 2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
* CONCACAF Gold Cup Best Goal: 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
(second place)
* LA Galaxy
LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pl ...
Player of the Year: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011
*LA Galaxy
LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pl ...
Golden Boot: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
* LA Galaxy Humanitarian of the Year: 2007, 2008
* Everton Player of the Month: January 2010, January 2012
* MLS All-Time Best XI The Major League Soccer All-Time Best XI was selected In 2005 as part of the league's tenth anniversary celebrations. Major League Soccer, the top soccer league in the United States, named its All-Time Best XI, a selection of the best eleven playe ...
: Midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
* Major League Soccer MVP: 2009
* MLS Player of the Month: September 2003, April 2003, April 2008, July 2009, May 2011, August 2014
* MLS Best XI The MLS Best XI is an annual acknowledgment of the best eleven players in Major League Soccer.
Winners
*Players in bold were awarded the Landon Donovan MVP Award for that season.
Most appearances by a player
The following players have appeared ...
: 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014
* MLS Cup MVP: 2003, 2011
* MLS All-Star
The Major League Soccer All-Star Game is an annual Association football, soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against an international club or selected players from Liga MX. MLS initially adopted a tr ...
: 2001, 2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
, 2003, 2004, 2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
, 2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
, 2014
* MLS All-Star Game
The Major League Soccer All-Star Game is an annual soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against an international club or selected players from Liga MX. MLS initially adopted a traditional all-star ga ...
MVP: 2001, 2014
* MLS Golden Boot The MLS Golden Boot (currently commercially termed "Audi Golden Boot") has been awarded since the 2005 season to Major League Soccer's regular–season leading scorer. The award replaced the MLS Scoring Champion Award that was awarded since the le ...
: 2008
* MLS Silver Boot: 2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
* MLS Goal of the Year
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canad ...
: 2009
* Premios Univision Deportes
TUDN (formerly Univision Deportes) is a sports programming division of Univision, a Spanish language broadcast television network owned by TelevisaUnivision USA, that is responsible for the production of televised coverage of sports events and m ...
Lifetime Achievement Award: 2014
* Walt Chyzowych
Walter Chyzowych ( ua, Володимир Чижович, Volodymyr Chyzhovych) (April 20, 1937 – September 2, 1994) was a Ukrainian-born soccer player who played for Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals and Newark Sitch of the American Soccer L ...
Fund Distinguished Playing Career Award: 2017
* IFFHS
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) is an organisation that chronicles the history and records of association football. It was founded in 1984 by Alfredo Pöge in Leipzig. The IFFHS was based in Abu Dhabi for so ...
Legends
* MLS
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
Greatest Player of All Time
* National Soccer Hall of Fame: 2023
See also
* List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
In men's association football, a cap is traditionally awarded in international football to a player making an official match appearance for their national team. In total, over 600 players have played in 100 or more international matches. The re ...
* List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals
In total, 76 male footballers to date have scored at least 50 goals with their national team at senior level, according to FIFA documents and RSSSF statistics. Since October 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been also publish ...
* List of athletes who came out of retirement
In most cases, when a professional athlete announces retirement, he or she retires and then never returns to playing professional sports; however, in rare instances there are some athletes who came out of retirement. The following list shows su ...
* Landon Donovan MVP Award
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Landon Donovan
at Everton FC
Everton Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Liverpool that competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club was a founder member of the Football League in 1888 and has comp ...
*
Landon Donovan: USA Soccer Hero
nbsp;– slideshow by ''Life magazine
''Life'' was an American magazine published weekly from 1883 to 1972, as an intermittent "special" until 1978, and as a monthly from 1978 until 2000. During its golden age from 1936 to 1972, ''Life'' was a wide-ranging weekly general-interest ma ...
''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donovan, Landon
1982 births
Living people
American people of Irish descent
American sportspeople of Canadian descent
People from Ontario, California
People from Redlands, California
Sportspeople from Manhattan Beach, California
Soccer players from California
American soccer players
Association football wingers
Association football forwards
Bayer 04 Leverkusen II players
Bayer 04 Leverkusen players
San Jose Earthquakes players
LA Galaxy players
FC Bayern Munich footballers
Everton F.C. players
Club León footballers
San Diego Loyal SC
San Diego Sockers players
Bundesliga players
Major League Soccer players
Major League Soccer All-Stars
Major League Soccer MVPs
Designated Players (MLS)
Premier League players
Liga MX players
Major Arena Soccer League players
United States men's youth international soccer players
United States men's under-20 international soccer players
United States men's under-23 international soccer players
Olympic soccer players of the United States
United States men's international soccer players
Footballers at the 1999 Pan American Games
Footballers at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
2002 FIFA World Cup players
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup players
2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
2006 FIFA World Cup players
2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players
2010 FIFA World Cup players
2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States
Pan American Games medalists in football
CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning players
FIFA Century Club
American expatriate soccer players
American expatriate sportspeople in Germany
American expatriate sportspeople in England
American expatriate sportspeople in Mexico
Expatriate footballers in Germany
Expatriate footballers in England
Expatriate footballers in Mexico
American soccer coaches
San Diego Loyal SC coaches
USL Championship coaches
Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games