Death, taxes, and current/former U.S. men’s national team players publicly starting quarrels.
It seems as though the American soccer scene can’t go through long stretches without a high-profile figure starting a beef, and on Thursday, retired striker Eddie Johnson caused a stir after calling out national team legend Landon Donovan.
“You talk so much s— about every other young upcoming player in the past but yourself lol why don’t we talk about the 5 years you were in Germany and failed and ran back to MLS bc you weren’t good enough? Why don’t we speak about this?” Johnson wrote on social media, with a screenshot to a quote from Donovan, who discussed the growing excitement over up-and-coming star Cavan Sullivan.
Donovan pointed out former prodigy Freddy Adu, as well as Johnson, as part of his argument to calm expectations.
“One of the best considerably players in our country failed in Europe early in his career,” Johnson continued. “No one killed him but he’s killing all these young players that have done more then he ever has done in Europe.”
This kind of spicy-but-ridiculous online drama is nothing new for the USMNT.
The lore of public and unnecessary beefs involving the USMNT is like a tradition. In an attempt to highlight some of the previous chapters — sticking to the silliest and most pointless beefs rather than the more serious ones — we’ve made a short list of some memorable incidents.
Landon Donovan vs. Christian Pulisic: ‘It’s pissing me off’
This isn’t the first time Donovan appears on this list — and it won’t be the last, either.
After star player Christian Pulisic asked to take the summer off during the 2025 Gold Cup, Donovan called out USMNT players who missed the tournament.
“This is what it means to represent your country,” Donovan said of Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo while working as a pundit during the UEFA Nations League final.
“Forty years old. He’s played a long-ass season. He’s tired. He’s out there grinding. Hurt himself in the process, and I can’t help but think about some of our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It’s pissing me off.”
Pulisic’s father responded on social media by posting ChatGPT’s explanation for Donovan’s 144-day sabbatical in 2012-13 that later saw him left out of the 2014 World Cup squad.
“Landon Donovan took his sabbatical because he was feeling both physically and mentally exhausted after years of intense competition and the pressure that comes with being a top athlete,” read a screenshot that included the AI text.
Pulisic hit “like” on the post.
Jermaine Jones vs. Jordan Morris: ‘Really? Why you go the easy way?’
Justifiably flustered after the USMNT’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, midfielder Jermaine Jones, who had recently been left off the national team roster, shared his complaints about the U.S. team on Instagram Live.
While criticizing players who never take a chance abroad in Europe, Jones specifically put a spotlight on Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris, saying that Morris turned down an opportunity to play in Germany.
According to Jones, Morris told him: “I want to go home. My dad is a doctor in Seattle, and my mom, they bought me and my girlfriend a dog.”
“Really?” said Jones during the livestream. “Why you go the easy way when you have the chance?”
Morris has since said that the dog was not a factor, saying: “I obviously didn’t stay in Seattle because of a dog.”
Alejandro Bedoya vs. Jozy Altidore: ‘You have a lot to say but never to anyone’s face’
After USMNT teammates Alejandro Bedoya and Jozy Altidore faced off in an MLS match in 2017, Bedoya was asked postgame whether a penalty decision for Altidore was correct.
“Knowing him, he tends to go down easily in the box,” Bedoya said just weeks before a national team camp. “So, just leave it at that.”
That didn’t sit well with Altidore, who took to social media.
“Nice comment pal,” he wrote. “You have a lot to say but never to anyones face. Im surprised.. but I shouldn’t be.”
Both later downplayed the back-and-forth, but it was still clear that Bedoya had struck a nerve.
Eric Wynalda vs. Landon Donovan: ‘There’s a big part of me that wants to stuff a sock in your mouth right now’
Last year, Donovan gained attention after he said that rising star Diego Luna should remain in MLS, and not move to Europe just yet, to cement a place for the USMNT’s 2026 World Cup roster.
It was an eyebrow-raising comment, which provoked former striker Eric Wynalda to rant about Donovan’s advice during his “Unleashed with Eric Wynalda” show.
“Stop polluting minds because it’s getting f—ing annoying. Nobody believes that, Landon,” Wynalda said. “Nobody even comes close to believing that this place is the best place to get ready for a World Cup.
“I don’t want to get into these fights, but there’s a big part of me that wants to stuff a sock in your mouth right now. It’s getting annoying as hell.”
Wynalda has previously noted that he has “never been friends” with Donovan. Big surprise!
Tim Weah vs. former USMNT players: ‘I just feel like they’re really evil’
Let’s go back to when Pulisic took a break during the 2025 Gold Cup.
It occurred during the filming of the “Pulisic” documentary, which highlighted the criticism that the current national team was receiving from former national team players about the squad’s performances and the commitment of someone like Pulisic.
“I think those guys are chasing checks and, for me, I just feel like they’re really evil,” Pulisic’s teammate Tim Weah said in the documentary. “They’ve been players, and they know what it’s like when you’re getting bashed. Those are the same guys that’ll turn around and shake your hand and try to be friendly with you at the end of the day.”
Weah later stood by his comments after being asked whether he regretted them.
