Because the U.S. Men\u2019s National Team prepares to take the world stage, soccer legend Landon Donovan<\/strong> is keeping expectations grounded while still believing Team USA is capable of creating serious noise. The previous U.S. soccer star and current broadcaster opened up in regards to the team\u2019s World Cup potential while talking to reporters, including The Blast, during a celeb shift at Raising Cane\u2019s<\/strong> latest Inglewood Flagship Restaurant on Tuesday, June 9.<\/p>\n When asked what fans should realistically expect from the U.S. this summer, Donovan admitted there may be loads of potential, but cautioned that making a deep run within the tournament is not any easy feat. \u201cThey’re able to beating any team,\u201d Donovan said. \u201cThat is going on. Soccer\u2019s a singular sport, and one goal could be the difference between how things go.\u201d<\/p>\n Nevertheless, Donovan stopped in need of predicting a Cinderella story for the Americans. \u201cWhat\u2019s realistic might be winning one or two knockout [games],\u201d he explained. \u201cThe challenge is, are you able to do it twice in a row, thrice in a row, 4 times in a row, five times in a row against world-class teams? That\u2019s the part that\u2019s hard.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n The soccer icon identified just how difficult sustained success on the international stage truly is, noting that only a select few nations have ever managed to win the tournament. Still, Donovan believes this version of the U.S. squad has the power to surprise people.<\/p>\n Donovan also weighed in on the growing conversation surrounding U.S. soccer star Christian Pulisic and whether he could someday surpass him as the best American player of all time.<\/p>\n When asked about recent comments from soccer analyst Alexi Lalas, who suggested Pulisic could eventually claim that title, Donovan acknowledged the likelihood, especially if the team delivers a memorable run. \u201cHe absolutely has that chance and he\u2019s capable,\u201d Donovan said.<\/p>\n In accordance with Donovan, a standout tournament on home soil could elevate Pulisic\u2019s legacy to a different level. \u201cIf this team gets to quarterfinals or semifinals, has this miraculous run, and he scores 4 goals or five goals or six goals and becomes considered one of the celebrities within the tournament, that’s miles higher than anything any of us [did],\u201d Donovan said.<\/p>\n For Donovan, this yr\u2019s tournament carries a deeper significance, especially with matches happening in america. Reflecting on his own first World Cup experience in 1994, Donovan recalled attending a match as a child and realizing the game was much greater than he ever imagined. \u201cIn \u201994, I went to my first World Cup game,\u201d he said. \u201cThe primary time in my life, my eyes were opened to this greater world that I didn\u2019t know existed.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, Donovan believes thousands and thousands of young fans could experience that very same spark. \u201cThere will probably be thousands and thousands of women and boys who watch this summer and go, \u2018Oh my God, I would like to be like them,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n While Donovan admitted he\u2019s feeling nervous ahead of the tournament, he said excitement outweighs every thing else. \u201cI’m nervous,\u201d he admitted. \u201cI\u2019m also really optimistic and excited.\u201d<\/p>\n Although Donovan has experienced the pressure of the World Cup as a player, he admitted this yr\u2019s tournament feels different now that he\u2019s preparing to cover the motion from the published booth.<\/p>\n The previous soccer star, who is ready to go to Mexico City to call the opening match, said the magnitude of the moment only recently began to sink in. \u201cTruthfully, this week did,\u201d Donovan said when asked when the tournament finally began to feel real. \u201cProbably yesterday \u2026 we were doing my podcast and we\u2019re like, \u2018Oh my God, it\u2019s three days.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Donovan said seeing Los Angeles transformed by World Cup energy also made the moment hit harder. \u201cDriving up here and seeing Hollywood Park and SoFi \u2026 once I flew over, I used to be like, \u2018Oh my God, it\u2019s here,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m seeing World Cup stuff in every single place.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite not being on the pitch, Donovan admitted he still feels deeply connected to Team USA and stays emotionally invested in the game\u2019s continued growth. \u201cI care deeply, deeply, deeply about this,\u201d Donovan said. \u201cThis chance is greater than anything that\u2019s ever been presented to us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Because the U.S. Men\u2019s National Team prepares to take the world stage, soccer legend Landon Donovan is keeping expectations grounded while still believing Team USA is capable of creating serious noise. The previous U.S. soccer star and current broadcaster opened up in regards to the team\u2019s World Cup potential while talking to reporters, including The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":348573,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[337],"tags":[1060,2407,2782,17332,1451,1388,813],"class_list":["post-348572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-cup","tag-donovan","tag-expectations","tag-landon","tag-realistic","tag-shares","tag-world"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=348572"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":348575,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348572\/revisions\/348575"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/348573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=348572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=348572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=348572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Donovan Says Christian Pulisic Has Opportunity To Make History<\/h2>\n
![\"Landon](\"https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=788,height=525,fit=crop,quality=75,gravity=auto,metadata=none,format=auto,onerror=redirect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/03_LandonDonovan_RaisingCanes-788x525.jpg\")
Landon Donovan Says This World Cup Feels Larger Than Ever<\/h2>\n
![\"Landon](\"https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=788,height=525,fit=crop,quality=75,gravity=auto,metadata=none,format=auto,onerror=redirect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/06_LandonDonovan_RaisingCanes-788x525.jpeg\")
Donovan Says World Cup Finally Feels Real<\/h2>\n
![\"Landon](\"https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=788,height=1182,fit=crop,quality=75,gravity=auto,metadata=none,format=auto,onerror=redirect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/07_LandonDonovan_RaisingCanes-788x1182.jpg\")
Landon Donovan Admits He Still Feels Deeply Connected To Team USA<\/h2>\n
![\"Landon](\"https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=788,height=563,fit=crop,quality=75,gravity=auto,metadata=none,format=auto,onerror=redirect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/02_LandonDonovan_RaisingCanes-788x563.jpeg\")