TWith less than two months until the start of the 2026 World Cup, the U.S. national team was dealt a surprising blow with the announcement of the resignation of the U.S. Soccer sporting director.
The situation prompted one of the biggest icons in U.S. soccer to react.
Landon Donovan’s reaction
Former USMNT star Landon Donovan has made his position clear regarding a tournament that is critical to the development of U.S. soccer.
“My first thought was, if he doesn’t want to be here, we don’t want him here. And there was always a sense that he wasn’t fully committed here, that he wasn’t really interested in football in this country.”
He added: “We should all be happy that he’s gone. I’m really happy to be in a position where he genuinely cares about the development of football.”
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced that Matt Crocker will step down as athletic director to pursue new opportunities in international soccer, without initially disclosing his destination.
However, a person close to the decision, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because his new position had not yet been officially announced, confirmed that Crocker will continue his career in Saudi soccer.
Meanwhile, Fox Sports became the first news outlet to report on his association with the Saudi Arabian soccer project.
