Landon Donovan

Landon Donovan
Donovan playing for LA Galaxy in 2010
Personal information
Full name Landon Timothy Donovan
Date of birth (1982-03-04) March 4, 1982 (age 42)
Place of birth Ontario, California, United States
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1]
Position(s) Winger, forward
Youth career
1999 IMG Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2000 Bayer Leverkusen II 28 (9)
2000–2005 Bayer Leverkusen 7 (0)
2001–2004 → San Jose Earthquakes (loan) 87 (32)
2005–2014 LA Galaxy 247 (112)
2009 → Bayern Munich (loan) 6 (0)
2010 → Everton (loan) 10 (2)
2012 → Everton (loan) 7 (0)
2016 LA Galaxy 6 (1)
2018 León 6 (0)
2018–2019 San Diego Sockers (indoor) 10 (5)
Total 416 (161)
International career
1998–1999 United States U17 41 (35)
2001 United States U20 4 (0)
2000–2004 United States U23 15 (9)
2000–2014 United States 157 (57)
2019 United States (indoor) 1 (0)
Managerial career
2020–2022 San Diego Loyal
2024 San Diego Wave (interim)
Medal record
Men's soccer
Representing  United States
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Winner 2002 United States
Winner 2005 United States
Winner 2007 United States
Winner 2013 United States
Runner-up 2011 United States
Third place 2003 United States–Mexico
FIFA Confederations Cup
Runner-up 2009 South Africa
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Landon Timothy Donovan (born March 4, 1982) is an American former professional soccer player and coach who was most recently the interim head coach of San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Widely regarded as one of the greatest U.S. players of all time, Donovan holds the world record for the man with the most international assists (58),[2] and is tied with Clint Dempsey for the most international goals scored by a male U.S. player (57).[3][4][5][6]

An early soccer product of IMG Academy, Donovan signed for Bayer Leverkusen in 1999. In 2005, after six years with Leverkusen, the majority of which were spent on loan with the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS, Donovan moved back to the United States permanently to sign with the Los Angeles Galaxy. He later returned to Germany for a loan with Bayern Munich, and twice went on short loans to English Premier League 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 León. He further played one season with the San Diego Sockers of the Major Arena Soccer League. Overall Donovan won a record six MLS Cups and is the league's all-time assists leader with 136.[7] The Major League Soccer MVP Award has been renamed the Landon Donovan MVP Award in his honor.[8][9]

Donovan made his senior debut for the United States men's national team in 2000. He is the all-time leader in assists, tied with Clint Dempsey as the all-time leader in scoring, and is the second-most-capped player of his country.[10][11] Donovan is the only American player to reach the 50 goals/50 assists mark.[12] He is tied with Christian Pulisic for the record of four U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year awards (the first man to win in consecutive years),[13] as well as the only seven-time winner of the Player of the Year award.[14] Donovan starred in the U.S. team that reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup where he received the Best Young Player Award. His three goals in the 2010 World Cup made Donovan the highest-scoring male American player in World Cup history.

  1. ^ "MLS Player Profile". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
  2. ^ "Who has the most assists in international football history? Lionel Messi, Neymar seek all-time FIFA record". www.sportingnews.com. September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  3. ^ "Who did you vote as the GOAT from the biggest nations?". ESPN. November 18, 2020. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  4. ^ Seltzer, Greg. "Top 10 US national team players of the modern era". mlssoccer.com. MLS. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  5. ^ "The 25 greatest male US soccer players of all time – interactive". The Guardian. July 24, 2015. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  6. ^ "FourFourTwo's top 25 players in U.S. men's soccer history: 5–1". fourfourtwo.com. June 1, 2016. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  7. ^ Webster, Peter (April 3, 2012). "40 Greatest U.S. Men's Soccer Players of All Time". bleacherreport.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
  8. ^ "MLS names MVP award after U.S. legend Landon Donovan". ESPN. January 15, 2015. Archived from the original on January 19, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  9. ^ "Major League Soccer names Most Valuable Player award after Landon Donovan". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on January 16, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  10. ^ "U.S. Men's National Team Prepares to Kick Off 2009 Confederations Cup Against World Champion Italy". United States Football Federation. Chicago. Archived from the original on June 15, 2009. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  11. ^ "FIFA makes Donovan's record official". ESPN. New York. February 29, 2008. Archived from the original on July 10, 2009. Retrieved October 29, 2008.
  12. ^ Itel, Dan. "Gold Cup: Another game, another milestone as Landon Donovan continues USMNT comeback". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on July 14, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  13. ^ "Donovan, Wambach, Agbossoumonde and Henninger Voted 2010 U.S. Soccer Athletes of the Year". U.S. Soccer. December 20, 2010. Archived from the original on December 24, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  14. ^ "Donovan wins sixth Honda Award". ESPN. Los Angeles. Associated Press. October 20, 2009. Archived from the original on October 23, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2009.