Landon Donovan, former U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) star and current Fox soccer pundit, revealed that the stress of the team's recent World Cup match against Bosnia-Herzegovina was so intense that his "fake hair was falling out."
Donovan made the humorous remark on Fox's postgame show after the USMNT secured a 2-0 victory. He described being on the edge of his seat during the final 15 minutes of the match. The USMNT played a significant portion of the second half with 10 men after Folarin Balogun received a red card, increasing the pressure as Bosnia-Herzegovina pushed for a tying goal.
Despite the disadvantage, the U.S. team managed to withstand the late surge from Bosnia. Malik Tillman scored a late goal to seal the victory for the Americans.
"They were a better team than Bosnia. More talented, better in the attacking and they had all the ball all the game," Donovan commented on the USMNT's performance. He added that facing real adversity, unlike in previous matches, and still managing to secure a win builds confidence. He noted that Christian Pulisic had a goal disallowed for offside, but that resilience under pressure is crucial.
"Could have scored two goals with a man down, Christian [Pulisic’s] goal was called offside, but that shows you can go into a game now against Belgium, where maybe they have moments where they have all the ball, and you’re under a little pressure, and that builds confidence that they can defend and get out of it," Donovan stated. Malik Tillman of the U.S. celebrates scoring the team’s second goal in the USMNT’s 2-0 win over Bosnia-Bosnia-Herzegovina in World Cup Round of 32 play on July 1, 2026 in Santa Clara, Calif.
The USMNT will advance to the Round of 16 to face Belgium on Monday night in Seattle. Donovan suggested that the upcoming match is likely to be close, potentially leading to similar stress levels.
All FIFA World Cup matches are being broadcast on FOX or FOX Sports 1.