Landon Donovan is helping set the tone for a U.S. soccer GOAT poll that also points to how America’s World Cup and Olympic history is anything but smooth—before readers weigh in on the greatest American soccer player of all time.
Before the poll even starts, the United States has to face a hard truth about its soccer past: for decades, the country’s record on the biggest stages was, at best, inconsistent.
The stakes for the “GOAT” discussion show up fast. The U.S. Men’s National Team has never won an Olympic medal in soccer. and its best men’s World Cup finish reaches back to 1930. when the team placed third. That’s the starting point for a conversation that’s now going to be decided by readers, not just historians.
Then the story changes shape. Fast forward 61 years to the first Women’s World Cup, when women’s soccer finally got its international stage. America won immediately behind Michelle Akers’ 10 goals, a first victory that became the beginning of four Women’s World Cup titles.
The Olympic moment came five years later, with a gold-medal finish in 1996—America’s first of five gold medals in women’s Olympic soccer. Over time, the U.S. women would medal in seven of eight Olympic tournaments.
That long arc matters because it clashes with how lists usually get made. The rollout for the poll admits there’s a “recency bias” baked into many top-player lists. where modern names can crowd out older achievement. In this case. it’s a direct prompt to readers: you’ll likely recognize a lot of the names on the list. ranging from recent Olympians and MLS pioneers to trailblazing women who shaped what excellence looks like in American soccer.
One voice from U.S. soccer’s modern era is already weighing in. Landon Donovan, an American soccer legend, explains to Jon Arnold why he believes the current U.S. squad carries the right mentality as the World Cup approaches—framing a team mindset that fans will now carry into the individual debate over the greatest player of all time.
The next step is straightforward and immediate: readers can vote for their favorite all-time U.S. soccer star in a poll tied to a larger “250 for 250” list. The article’s framing is also clear about how the project will unfold beyond this moment.
Starting the week of April 20. weekly lists of the top American athletes will be published. with a poll attached to readers’ votes for the nominees that appear on the next week’s list. The schedule also points toward a special interactive experience built around the top 250 athletes in American history.
For the soccer conversation, the timing is also laid out. Visit the site on June 10 to see what experts have to say about the top U.S. soccer stars of all time. Until then. readers are invited to weigh in on their GOAT picks. add a sleeper suggestion for the list. or call out what they see as the most obvious omission.
Landon Donovan USMNT USWNT GOAT poll 2026 World Cup Michelle Akers USA TODAY 250 for 250 American soccer