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Landon Donovan is the reason so many people in America are football fans.
In the 2010 World Cup, Donovan scored a last-minute goal against Algeria to give the Stars and Stripes a win in their group and bring a country together.
“That kind of moment, it changed my life forever,” Donovan told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview. “I mean, there’s not a day that goes by that I’m at a show or doing something that someone doesn’t come up and say something about it. And honestly, what I get more than anybody is, ‘I became a football fan the day I saw that game,’ which gives me chills because that’s what we’re trying to do.
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Landon Donovan of the United States celebrates after scoring the winning goal against Algeria during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Group C match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, on June 23, 2010. (Jeff Mitchell/FIFA via Getty Images)
“Since I was 16 years old as a young professional, we weren’t just players in this country, we had to be ambassadors because no one was paying attention back then. So we tried to play the sport all the time. When a literal moment in the 122nd minute when I kicked a ball into the net accelerates that process exponentially, it’s amazing because you’ve worked so hard and played for all these years and media. thing in a 122nd minute for the moment to do more than all that.”
Now, Donovan is one of the faces of FanDuel’s soccer betting this World Cup, offering promotions like the Super Sub, where if a player you bet on to score is signed, your bet automatically carries over to that player’s substitute and stays alive for the rest of the game.
“It tilts the odds a little bit more in your favor and it keeps you engaged. Usually when a player gets subbed out, we’re all p—ed off,” Donovan said with a laugh. “So it’s going to be a really fun summer and a few ways for fans to tip the odds a little bit in their favor.”
Landon Donovan celebrates the victory at the final whistle during the 2010 World Cup match between the USA and Algeria at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in South Africa. (EMPICS Sport – PA Images via Getty Images)
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“I’m at a place in my life where I want to be with good people and do fun things. FanDuel has been great to me, they treat me well, they do things the right way, they take their message of responsible gaming seriously. They really mean it and that means something to me as someone who has young kids who I’m sure will get into this at some point.”
Now that the 2026 World Cup is days away from taking place in the United States, Donovan said this year’s USMNT may have an even more “responsibility” than he did to take advantage of a sport that is dying to grow here.
Of course, for the players, there are much bigger things to worry about – but Donovan said that was always in the back of his mind.
“I know what a great World Cup can do because I had it in 2002, and I know what a bad World Cup can do because I had a bad World Cup in ’06. And then, in 2010, I was aware of all that. I knew the opportunities and the opportunity we had,” Donovan said.
Landon Donovan of the United States celebrates after scoring the winning goal against Algeria during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Group C match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Tshwane, South Africa on June 23, 2010. (Jeff Mitchell/FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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“As you get older, you have a responsibility to do your job and help grow the sport. And that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun or fun or any of that. It’s just, it’s a responsibility. That’s what these players have on their shoulders, and they know it.”
The USMNT begins its quest for its first title Friday in Los Angeles against Paraguay.
