Landon Donovan recalls life-changing World Cup moment amid players' 'responsibility' of growing game in USA

Landon Donovan is the crushed wherefore truthful galore radical successful the United States are shot fans.

In the 2010 World Cup, Donovan scored a last-minute extremity against Algeria, giving the Stars and Stripes a triumph successful their radical and bringing a state together.

"That benignant of moment, it changed my beingness forever," Donovan told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview. "I mean, determination is not a time that I'm astatine an quality oregon doing thing that idiosyncratic doesn't travel up and accidental thing astir that. And honestly, the happening I get much than immoderate is, 'I became a shot instrumentality that time watching that game,' which gives maine chills due to the fact that that is what we're trying to do.

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Landon Donovan of the United States celebrates aft scoring the winning extremity against Algeria during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Group C lucifer astatine Loftus Versfeld Stadium successful Pretoria, South Africa, connected June 23, 2010. (Jeff Mitchell/FIFA via Getty Images)

"Since I was 16 years aged arsenic a young professional, we were not lone players successful this country, we had to beryllium ambassadors due to the fact that cipher was paying attraction then. So we were trying to turn the athletics each the time. When 1 literal 122nd-minute infinitesimal of maine kicking a shot into the nett exponentially expedites that process, it's astonishing due to the fact that you've been moving truthful hard. I did 10 years of appearances and media and playing and each these things for a 122nd-minute infinitesimal to bash much than each of that."

Now, Donovan is 1 of the faces of FanDuel's shot betting during this World Cup, wherever it is offering promotions similar Super Sub, successful which if a subordinate you stake connected to people is subbed out, your stake automatically transfers to that player's replacement and stays live done the remainder of the game.

"It tilts the likelihood a small spot much successful your favor, and it keeps you engaged. Usually erstwhile a subordinate gets subbed out, we're each p---ed off," Donovan said with a laugh. "So it's gonna beryllium a truly amusive summertime and a mates ways that fans tin tilt the likelihood a small successful their favor."

Landon Donovan celebrates triumph astatine the last whistle during the 2010 World Cup lucifer betwixt the USA and Algeria astatine Loftus Versfeld Stadium successful South Africa. (EMPICS Sport - PA Images via Getty Images)

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"I'm astatine a spot successful my beingness wherever I privation to beryllium astir bully radical and bash amusive things. FanDuel has been large to me, they dainty maine well, they bash things the close way, they transportation their liable gambling connection seriously. They truly mean it and that matters to maine arsenic idiosyncratic who has young kids who I'm definite volition get into this astatine immoderate point."

Now that the 2026 World Cup is days distant from taking spot successful the United States, Donovan said this year's USMNT whitethorn person adjacent much of a "responsibility" than helium did to instrumentality vantage of a athletics that is dying to turn here.

Of course, for the players, determination are overmuch bigger things to interest astir — but Donovan said it was ever successful the backmost of his mind.

"I cognize what a large World Cup could bash due to the fact that I had it successful 2002, and I cognize what a atrocious World Cup tin bash due to the fact that I had a atrocious World Cup successful '06. And so, successful 2010, I was alert of each that. I knew the possibilities and the accidental that we had," Donovan said.

Landon Donovan of the United States celebrates aft scoring the winning extremity against Algeria during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Group C lucifer astatine Loftus Versfeld Stadium successful Tshwane, South Africa, connected June 23, 2010. (Jeff Mitchell/FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

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"As you get older, you person a work to bash your occupation and to assistance turn the sport. And it doesn't mean it can't beryllium amusive oregon enjoyable oregon immoderate of that. It's just, it is simply a responsibility. That is what these players person connected their shoulders, and they cognize that."

The USMNT begins its quest for its archetypal rubric connected Friday successful Los Angeles against Paraguay.

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