Landon Timothy Donovan is an American football player for Everton, on loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing.

A member of the inaugural class of the U.S. Soccer residency program in Bradenton, Florida, Donovan was declared player of the tournament for his role in the national U-17 team that finished fourth in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship, Donovan later signed with the German side Bayer Leverkusen. After six years with the club, the majority of which was spent on loan at the San Jose Earthquakes, Donovan moved to the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2005, though he returned to the Bundesliga for a three-month spell at the start of 2009 on loan to Bayern Munich. He went on loan again from January to March 2010 with English Premier League side Everton, where he scored twice in ten appearances.

For the United States national team, Donovan is the all-time leader in scoring and assists, and has the most caps of all active players.He is a four-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award (the only male to do so and the only male to win in consecutive years),as well as the only three-time winner of the Honda Player of the Year award, having won it seven times.His goals in the 2010 World Cup made Donovan the highest scoring American player in World Cup history and the third American player to score in more than one World Cup (after Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey).

INTERNATIONAL CAREER

Donovan was a member of the inaugural class at U.S. Soccer's full-time residency program at the IMG Soccer Academy, in Bradenton, Florida. He won the Golden Ball at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship as the tournament's best player. In his two years playing for the U-17 team, he scored thirty-five goals in forty-one games.In 2000, he moved up to both the United States U-23 men's national soccer team as well as the senior team. Despite this he played for the United States U-20 men's national soccer team in 2001. In March 2001 he was involved in a collision with Marvin Lee, the captain of Trinidad and Tobago national football team U20s in Macoya, Trinidad, which resulted in Lee being paralyzed and broke one of Donovan's ribs.Lee later died from his injuries in 2003.

In 2006 he became the United States' all-time assist leader with twenty-three when he set up Ben Olsen; the previous all-time assist leader was Cobi Jones.

Donovan made his World Cup Finals debut in the 2002 World Cup starting in the shock upset of pre-tournament favorites Portugal, a match the Americans won 3–2. Donovan's cross in the 29th minute deflected in off Rui Costa, giving the U.S. a 2–0 lead. Later, Donovan would tally his first World Cup Finals goal in the 83rd minute of a 3–1 loss to Poland in the third match of the group stage. He then scored his second goal of the tournament on a header which clinched a 2–0 "Round of 16" victory for the Americans over arch-rival Mexico. Though the U.S. would go on to lose 1–0 to Germany in the quarterfinals, Donovan would later be named "Best Young Player" of the tournament.

Donovan was a member of the U.S. squad at the 2006 World Cup, in which the Americans were eliminated in the group stage. He led the U.S. to the 2007 Gold Cup title with 4 goals, including a crucial penalty in the 2–1 victory over Mexico in the final. On January 19, 2008, Donovan scored his 35th international goal, a penalty against Sweden, and passed Eric Wynalda as the United States' all-time leading goal scorer. Donovan reached 100 caps at the age of 26 on June 8, 2008, in a friendly against Argentina that ended in a 0–0 draw, and was the fourth-youngest person to do so.

Donovan captained the U.S. in the group stage of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup due to Carlos Bocanegra's injury absence. Donovan scored on a penalty kick against Italy, shortly after his team had been reduced to 10 men, and scored for the United States in a 3–2 defeat to Brazil in the final. On October 10, 2009, Donovan scored on a free kick, giving the U.S. a 3–2 victory over Honduras in San Pedro Sula, clinching a berth in the 2010 World Cup.

Donovan was included in the squad for the 2010 World Cup, and played all four games in the United States' campaign. He scored against Slovenia with a shot straight up into goal past the goalkeeper's face, in a 2–2 tie,and the only goal in a 1–0 defeat of Algeria off of a rebounded attempt on goal by teammate Clint Dempsey, leading the USA to win their World Cup group for the first time since 1930.Donovan scored a penalty against Ghana as the U.S lost 2–1 after extra time and were eliminated from the competition.His goals in the 2010 World Cup made Donovan the highest scoring American man in World Cup history,and just the third American man to score in more than one World Cup (after Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey).His total of five World Cup goals is the most for any man representing a team from CONCACAF.