Landon Donovan speaks frankly about Mexico: 'They're in a bad moment'
For Landon Donovan, the Mexican national team won't have much of a future in the next World Cup and he doesn't foresee a good future for them beyond the first round
Landon Donovan, former star of the United States national team, stated that the Mexican national team won't have much of a future in the next World Cup and explained that the pressure of Their home crowd will be a significant handicap for the team managed by Javier Aguirre.
Donovan is currently in Washington, D.C. for the 2026 World Cup draw, where he and his former USMNT teammate Stuart Holden stated that the Mexican team is not going through its best moment.
“Mexico is in a bad moment right now, they are in a really bad moment. It doesn't look good for them and they need to turn things around because I don't think they will fail in the Group Stage, but there are no guarantees that they will be very good afterward,” Donovan told Fox Sports.
Surprised by the rift between Mexico and its fans
In his presentation, Holden set aside his role as an analyst and spoke as a fan, expressing surprise at the rift that exists between the Mexican national team and its supporters, as was evident in the Mexican city of Torreon, Coahuila.
“This is absolutely fascinating. They had a friendly match where they drew 0-0 against Uruguay and were booed on the field; the fans even fought with the players,” he noted.
Holden also predicted that the Mexican national team risks having the host nation's role work against them, with support turning into animosity if the results don't go their way: “I really think that of the three host nations, Mexico is the team where the home support can end up working against them because of the pressure,” he commented.
“If the game doesn't start well in the first 15 minutes, those fans are going to turn against you faster than you think. That will change if the first goal comes quickly. But I think Mexican players feel more pressure playing in Mexico than in the United States,” he said.
The harsh reality of Mexico's numbers
Mexico is grappling with a second half of 2025 filled with adversity, having gone six games without a win since their Gold Cup victory over the United States. Since then, their struggles have only intensified.
During this winless streak, they have drawn with Japan (0-0), South Korea (2-2), Ecuador (1-1), and Uruguay (0-0), as well as suffering defeats against Colombia (4-0) and Paraguay (2-1). This surpasses the worst run of the tenure under Argentine coach Gerardo Martino and has created a rift with Mexican fans.