Landon Donovan

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Donovan was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2003, 2004, and 2010, becoming the second man to win the award three times, after Claudio Reyna. He scored the title-clinching goal in the 72nd minute of the 2011 MLS Cup final against Houston Dynamo.

In Their Own Story

In October 2012, Donovan converted a penalty kick in the 65th minute of the MLS Cup final to give LA Galaxy a 2–1 lead over Houston. The goal was his fifth in MLS Cup Finals as the team won 3–1.

Reader's Guide

Landon Donovan signed with LA Galaxy in 2005 after leaving Bayer Leverkusen, winning the MLS Cup that year. He scored 12 league goals and added four playoff goals to secure the title. In 2008, he won the MLS Golden Boot with 20 goals. After a loan spell at Everton, he returned to win the MLS Cup in 2011, scoring the winning goal and earning MVP honors. He won the cup again in 2012 and 2014.

Did You Know?

• Donovan is one of several American players to reach the 50 goals/50 assists mark.
• He won a record six MLS Cups, more than any other player in league history — four with LA Galaxy (2005, 2011, 2012, 2014) and two with San Jose Earthquakes (2001, 2003).
• The Major League Soccer MVP Award was renamed the Landon Donovan MLS MVP Award in 2015 and was used only that year.
• He received the FIFA Best Young Player Award at the 2002 World Cup, becoming the first North American to do so.
• Donovan scored seven goals in his very first organized soccer match when he was six years old.

Global Career Trajectory and Club Achievements

Donovan signed with German club Bayer Leverkusen in 1999 but spent most of his early career on loan with the San Jose Earthquakes, winning MLS Cups in 2001 and 2003. In 2005, he moved permanently to LA Galaxy, becoming the league's all-time assists leader with 136 and leading the team to MLS Cup victories in 2005, 2011, 2012, and 2014. He won the MLS Golden Boot in 2008 and was named MVP of the 2009 season. Between domestic successes, he loaned to Bayern Munich in 2009 and Everton in 2010 and 2012. The Major League Soccer MVP Award has been renamed the Landon Donovan MVP Award in his honor.

International Dominance and National Team Legacy

Donovan made his senior debut for the United States in 2000, earning 157 caps to become the second-most capped player in U.S. history. He is tied with Clint Dempsey for the most international goals by a male U.S. player (57) and was the all-time top assist provider in international football (58) until 2023. He is the only American to reach the 50 goals/50 assists mark. Donovan scored five World Cup goals, the most for an American, in the 2002 and 2010 editions. In 2002, he helped the U.S. reach the quarter-finals, receiving the FIFA Best Young Player Award as the first North American to do so. He won four CONCACAF Gold Cups (2002, 2005, 2007, 2013), earning MVP in 2013 and Golden Boots in 2003, 2005, and 2013. He is tied with Christian Pulisic for four U.S. Soccer Player of the Year awards.

Formative Years and Youth Development

Born on March 4, 1982, in Ontario, California, to Donna Kenney-Cash and Tim Donovan, Landon has a twin sister named Tristan. Raised in Redlands, he attended Redlands East Valley High School. He began organized soccer at age six, scoring seven goals in his first match. A member of the Cal Heat club in Rancho Cucamonga, he joined the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program in 1997. In 1999, he attended IMG Academy as part of the inaugural class of the U.S. Soccer youth residency program. He was named Player of the Tournament for the U-17 squad that finished fourth at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship, where he won the Golden Ball.

Retirement, Comebacks, and Coaching Transition

Donovan retired as a player in 2014 but made brief comebacks with LA Galaxy late in the 2016 season and with Mexican club León in 2018. He also played one season with the San Diego Sockers of the Major Arena Soccer League. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2023. Most recently, he served as the interim head coach of San Diego Wave FC of the NWSL.