AUSTIN, Texas – Landon Donovan stepped out of the elevator bank at a downtown hotel with a hat in his hand and a smile on his face.

After more than a decade as the face of the U.S. men’s national team, Donovan, the program’s all-time leader in both goals and assists, grew accustomed to throwing on the cap with some sunglasses when he wanted to go unnoticed. On the evening before the U.S. played Ecuador in a friendly in the Texas capital, Donovan was preparing to go incognito again for a walk to the team hotel. Only this time, he didn’t need the hat.

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On top of his head, Donovan already had an unfamiliar sight that he found was helping him go a bit more unnoticed: hair.

For two decades, Donovan struggled with hair loss. Twice he underwent a hair replacement procedure. The second effort unintentionally went public when Donovan was on the desk for Euro 2024 and cameras captured where his head had been shaved for the attempt. Now, Donovan welcomed the public in on a decision he knew he would eventually have to address.

He posted a video on his social media channels.

“Alright guys, I need your help. Since I was 18, 19, 20, I’ve been dealing with…” Donovan turned his head down and ran his hand over his balding head. “That.”

Time to fix this balding head once and for all 👨🏼‍🦲 Open to suggestions, share your ideas below pi