USMNT legend Landon Donovan recently shared his perspective on the crucial year ahead for the U.S. Men`s National Team as they gear up to host the 2026 World Cup. He sees the upcoming period as a vital opportunity for the squad to make necessary adjustments.
The team is currently convened for the Gold Cup, which represents their final chance to secure a trophy before the World Cup arrives next June. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino is working with a relatively young and less experienced group for this tournament, partly due to key players like Antonee Robinson being injured and others such as Weston McKennie having Club World Cup commitments. Star player Christian Pulisic is also resting after a demanding season with AC Milan. Donovan argued that the Gold Cup, along with recent friendlies, offers a valuable platform for emerging USMNT talents to prove themselves and make a case for a World Cup roster spot with just one year remaining.
“There are some players on the fringe who have a big opportunity because other players have struggled,” Donovan told CBS Sports. He mentioned players like Diego Luna, Brian White, and Patrick Agyemang as examples. He cautioned established players that their position is not guaranteed, stating, “It can go quickly, and you have a few bad games, and you have someone else step in and plays well, that`s it. You have to be careful.”
This chance for new faces comes after a challenging year for the national team. It included the dismissal of head coach Gregg Berhalter following a group stage exit in last summer`s Copa America and a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Concacaf Nations League finals in March under new boss Pochettino. A prevailing sentiment after the March matches was that the USMNT lacked competitive fire, an issue that predates Pochettino`s arrival and prompted Donovan to criticize the team on social media. Months later, he stands by his comment that “talent is great, pride is better.”
“It doesn`t matter who`s coaching,” Donovan emphasized regarding effort. “If you and I are coaching, and that`s the effort that our team puts out, we`ve got no chance… Bruce Arena always used to say a coach shouldn`t have to coach effort. That should be a given, and right now, he probably thinks he has to coach effort, Pochettino. That`s not good, so the players are going to take some responsibility.”
Donovan argued that this “obligation to show up” is about honoring the generations of players who came before them.
He explained, “I became aware… that there were a group of people before me and before them… who sacrificed a lot for us to, all of a sudden, be stars and make millions of dollars… this generation needs to know that my generation… also sacrificed a lot so they can do what they`re now doing, but it`s a responsibility… If you don`t want that responsibility, fine. Then just don`t. Don`t put on the jersey. Fine, but if you`re going to do it, you better go home and do it.”
Despite his criticisms, Donovan, who is the USMNT`s joint all-time leading goalscorer, hasn`t lost faith in the group`s potential. He specifically praised Christian Pulisic, stating he “is playing as well as he`s ever played” after a career-best season for AC Milan where he scored 17 goals and provided 10 assists.
Every opportunity, both individually and collectively, will be crucial for USMNT players with the World Cup just a year away. This includes participation in this summer`s Club World Cup for players like McKennie and Timothy Weah with Juventus, and Gio Reyna with Borussia Dortmund.
“They`re going to be excited to come home and play,” Donovan commented. “Anytime you come home and play in your country, they`ll be excited… There`s a lot for those guys to prove… it`s another opportunity to be here and impress and play well, and there aren`t many opportunities left.”
Regarding Gio Reyna, Donovan suggested the player needs to turn his summer opportunities into a transfer to a club where he will consistently receive playing time in the final season before the World Cup. Reyna only made five starts in 25 appearances for Dortmund last season, and has only exceeded 12 starts once in his club career since his debut in 2020.
“My strong advice is anybody who`s not playing consistently is go somewhere and play,” Donovan stated. “Doesn`t matter where. Just go somewhere and play. That is the single biggest predictor of success in the World Cup, if you`re playing consistently and playing confidently.”
Regular playing time is particularly vital for a World Cup hosted on home soil, as the current squad will face a level of pressure unprecedented for past USMNT generations like Donovan`s.
“The difference is they`re playing in America,” he said, highlighting the intense scrutiny. “I never did that in a World Cup, and I can`t imagine, especially this world now where your every step and action is monitored and followed, and it`s going to be massive pressure on them. The best way to deal with that is to be playing somewhere and playing well so that when you step on the field, it`s easy… If you`re not playing well, and then when something goes wrong… now you start to doubt yourself, you`re at home thinking about everything. That`s when it can go wrong.”
For Donovan, the coming year is about the USMNT demonstrating they can live up to the significant potential identified in this group since they came together following the failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
“The challenge for this group is not in their abilities,” Donovan affirmed, “It`s not, because we`ve seen they can play in big clubs, big moments, big competitions and succeed and do well.”
He concluded by pointing to a need for more leadership: “There`s a little bit of a leadership question, I think, with the group, and the way someone described it to me is: we need more guys who are responsible for the result, and when you`re responsible for the result, it`s a way different feeling than just being on a really good team but you`re kind of a bit-part player. There were a lot of guys who, when I played… who, if they played poorly, the team was going to lose, and they knew it, and you got to play well, and we need more guys who are not just along for the ride but taking charge and being responsible for the result.”
Adrian Whitmore