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

The United States will beryllium 1 of nan 3 hosts for nan 2026 FIFA World Cup, and nan men’s squad dream it will lead to an easier way retired of nan group shape this clip around.

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

U.S. shot fable Landon Donovan told Fox News Digital that he expected nan Americans to easy make it retired of nan group shape and into nan knockout round.

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Landon Donovon #10 of nan United States against Costa Rica during nan 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 will get retired of nan group stage, and, successful fact, I deliberation we should triumph our group. I deliberation that is simply a realistic target for this team," Donovan said. "This squad has nan capacity to hit immoderate squad successful nan world. I really mean that. It doesn’t mean we’re going to beryllium amended than each squad we play successful nan World Cup, but we person nan expertise to hit each team. The situation truthful acold is that this squad has not shown that they tin do that yet, but we each cognize they are capable."

Donovan, whose book "Landon: A Memoir" is group to beryllium released this week," said nan U.S. will person cardinal friendlies against apical teams that should show conscionable really acold nan squad has travel since nan past World Cup.

Belgium, Portugal, Senegal and Germany are each group connected nan U.S. schedule earlier nan Americans play Paraguay connected June 12 to statesman nan World Cup.

"The beauty 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 nan group and triumph nan group, now nan full state is down you. I’ve seen it each World Cup since 2002. You triumph nan adjacent game, and you triumph nan adjacent game, adjacent point you know, you mightiness find yourself successful a quarterfinal aliases semifinal and past thing tin happen."

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

The U.S. World Cup roster will apt characteristic names nan 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 pinch Serie A’s Juventus. He has 4 goals and 4 assists successful 29 matches this season.

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

Donovan made 157 appearances for nan U.S. men’s shot team, only 7 appearances short of Cobi Jones for nan astir each time. He’s tied for first pinch Clint Dempsey for 57 goals connected nan 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 nan last whistle astatine nan 2010 World Cup.  (EMPICS Sport - PA Images via Getty Images)

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

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"I ever comparison nationalist squad games to assemblage football. Like nan rivalry group consciousness and nan 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 nan emblem travel retired and you perceive nan nationalist anthem and you recognize what you are playing for, is incomparable."

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