As the countdown to the 2026 World Cup on home soil grows shorter, debates around the greatest players in U.S. men’s national team history are heating up again.

With his brace against Orlando City, Inter Miami star Lionel Messi was honored by MLS, moving him closer to a record held by Landon Donovan.

While excitement builds around Pulisic’s resurgence and the possibility of another chapter in England, former USMNT icon Landon Donovan has raised a subtle yet significant concern that could shape the next phase of his career.

As the debate over the greatest USMNT player of all time resurfaces ahead of the 2026 World Cup, a familiar conclusion keeps emerging: club stardom alone is not enough.

Mauricio Pochettino’s method for working with USMNT players was praised by Landon Donovan, who emphasized that Christian Pulisic should be considered an exception.

In a year where he struggled to earn minutes with the national team, Christian Pulisic has been snubbed from a USMNT award, and now is set to remain tied with legend Landon Donovan, at least until 2026.

Christian Pulisic scores another decisive goal for AC Milan; Lionel Messi’s name unexpectedly enters the conversation; and Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, two giants of U.S. soccer history, appear in total agreement about something that once divided opinion.

Christian Pulisic is 27, thriving in the red and black of Milan, yet the whispers around him grow louder: could he one day follow Lionel Messi to Major League Soccer?

The USMNT captain has once again found himself at the center of a debate involving three of the biggest names in American soccer history — Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, and Landon Donovan.

Lionel Messi set a new record in the Major League Soccer after his outstanding performance against Nashville SC, and now is targeting one set by legend Landon Donovan.

On the same historic day when Cristiano Ronaldo achieved history with Portugal, Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina, continued to rewrite soccer’s record books even at 38.

At 38, Lionel Messi continues to redefine greatness, creating historic moments for Argentina against Puerto Rico and surpassing legends like Neymar and Landon Donovan.

Former USMNT star Landon Donovan spoke about the recent performances of Christian Pulisic with AC Milan.

Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah have now responded directly to the criticism from figures like Landon Donovan — doing so with a pointed, eight-word reality check that’s impossible to ignore.

While many fans and analysts accepted this as a reasonable move, one voice of disapproval — Landon Donovan, a legend of the Stars and Stripes — cut through the noise and sparked a storm of controversy.