US soccer legend Landon Donovan talks team's World Cup chances, recalls honor of representing country

The United States volition beryllium 1 of the 3 hosts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the men’s squad anticipation it volition pb to an easier way retired of the radical signifier this clip around.

Team USA volition spell up against Paraguay, Australia and either 1 of the 4 teams successful UEFA Path C, which includes Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo and Romania.

U.S. shot fable Landon Donovan told Fox News Digital that helium expected the Americans to easy marque it retired of the radical signifier and into the knockout round.

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Landon Donovon #10 of the United States against Costa Rica during the FIFA 2014 World Cup Qualifier astatine Estadio Nacional connected Sept. 6, 2013 successful San Jose, Costa Rica. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

"The presumption for each of america is that we volition get retired of the radical stage, and, successful fact, I deliberation we should triumph our group. I deliberation that is simply a realistic people for this team," Donovan said. "This squad has the capableness to bushed immoderate squad successful the world. I truly mean that. It doesn’t mean we’re going to beryllium amended than each squad we play successful the World Cup, but we person the quality to bushed each team. The situation truthful acold is that this squad has not shown that they tin bash that yet, but we each cognize they are capable."

Donovan, whose publication "Landon: A Memoir" is acceptable to beryllium released this week," said the U.S. volition person cardinal friendlies against apical teams that should amusement conscionable however acold the squad has travel since the past World Cup.

Belgium, Portugal, Senegal and Germany are each acceptable connected the U.S. docket earlier the Americans play Paraguay connected June 12 to statesman the World Cup.

"The quality of having a World Cup astatine location is that erstwhile you get momentum, it gets exponentially much each measurement you go," Donovan added. "So, if you get retired of the radical and triumph the group, present the full state is down you. I’ve seen it each World Cup since 2002. You triumph the adjacent game, and you triumph the adjacent game, adjacent happening you know, you mightiness find yourself successful a quarterfinal oregon semifinal and past thing tin happen."

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U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter with Weston McKennie during training. (REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari)

The U.S. World Cup roster volition apt diagnostic names the mean shot instrumentality has already heard of – Christian Pulisic, Tim Ream, Weston McKinnie and Matt Turner.

Donovan said fans should support a person oculus connected McKinnie this clip around. McKinnie is successful his sixth play with Serie A’s Juventus. He has 4 goals and 4 assists successful 29 matches this season.

"The subordinate playing amended than anybody close present for their nine squad connected our nationalist squad is Weston McKinnie," Donovan said. "He plays for Juventus successful Italy and helium has virtually been their champion subordinate for 15 games successful a enactment – and that’s a apical 5 squad successful that country. That’s a large league. So, I deliberation if Weston continues that signifier into the World Cup, helium could perfectly detonate onto the country present and truly made a sanction for himself."

Donovan made 157 appearances for the U.S. men’s shot team, lone 7 appearances abbreviated of Cobi Jones for the astir each time. He’s tied for archetypal with Clint Dempsey for 57 goals connected the nationalist squad arsenic well.

He recalled to Fox News Digital what playing for Team USA meant to him.

USA's Landon Donovan celebrates triumph astatine the last whistle astatine the 2010 World Cup.  (EMPICS Sport - PA Images via Getty Images)

"Everything," helium said simply. "I grew up a immense sports fan, and, truthful for me, I couldn’t ticker shot connected TV due to the fact that we didn’t person cablegram TV. We were excessively mediocre to spend that. But I would ticker the Olympics and I loved watching radical successful obscure sports correspond their state and particularly the radical representing our country. And I conscionable emotion that astir sports. There’s nothing, I mean, extracurricular of subject duty, which is simply a full antithetic category, there’s thing that compares to that.

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"I ever comparison nationalist squad games to assemblage football. Like the rivalry radical consciousness and the pridefulness they feel, but you propulsion nationalist pridefulness connected apical of that and you conscionable can’t comparison it to thing else. The pridefulness arsenic a player, erstwhile you person a crest and you spot the emblem travel retired and you perceive the nationalist anthem and you recognize what you are playing for, is incomparable."

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