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In not just a personal highlight, but one of the greatest moments in American soccer, Landon Donovan, foreground left, celebrates with teammate Edson Buddle after scoring an injury-time goal against Algeria, propelling the United States into the knockout round of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
In 2012, Donovan led the United States to a 5-1 victory with his hat trick against Scotland during a friendly in Jacksonville, Florida.
United States soccer fans went wild when Donovan scored the second goal to put his squad up 2-0 in a Confederations Cup game against vaunted Brazil in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2009. It wouldn't be enough, as there's a reason Brazil was vaunted. The United States would eventually fall 2-3.
During a 2009 World Cup qualifier in Chicago, Donovan notched the goal to sink Honduras 2-1 and punch the United States' ticket to the World Cup. He would earn Honda's Player of the Year and Player of the Decade designations that year.
On January 19, 2008, in an international friendly in Carson, California, Donovan set the U.S. all-time scoring record, 35, with a penalty kick against Sweden.
Donovan celebrates at Chicago's Soldier Field after a 2-1 win over archrival Mexico during the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament. The United States won the Cup with the help of four goals from Donovan, who would tie Eric Wynalda as the club's all-time leading scorer that year.
Donovan slides the ball around the outreached leg of Ecuador's Giovanny Espinoza in a 2007 international friendly match in Tampa, Florida. It was one of his three goals in the 3-1 win.
The United States needed a win over Costa Rica during a 2005 World Cup qualifier in Salt Lake City. Here, Donovan celebrates his second goal in the 3-0 win.
In a 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal match against a rather weak Cuba team, Donovan put on one of the most impressive performances of his career, burying a record-tying four goals in the United States' 5-0 win.
It's one thing to beat Mexico in a friendly or World Cup qualifier, but in the World Cup's Round of 16? Elation. From left to right, Tony Sanneh, Brian McBride, Claudio Reyna and Landon Donovan celebrate McBride's first goal in the match. Donovan would later frost the cake, making it 2-0 and sending the United States to the 2002 quarterfinals against Germany, which they lost controversially.
- NEW: Landon Donovan says he is sad, but excited
- He scored 57 goals for the USA, including one memorable one in the 2010 World Cup
- He played professionally in the United States, also in Germany and England
- The 32-year-old says he'll still be connected to the game
(CNN) -- Landon Donovan, the greatest scorer in American soccer history and one of the players who helped raise the profile of the game in the United States, will retire after the MLS season.
The Los Angeles Galaxy star told reporters in Los Angeles on Thursday that he doesn't have the same passion for the game that he had when he began playing professionally as a teenager. He said he made his final decision to leave the game about two weeks ago.
"It's bittersweet for me," he said. "There is some sadness. I'm also equally excited for what's to come. As most of you know, I've been doing this for quite a long time."
Donovan said he wanted to tell the Galaxy his plans so the team could start the process of looking for a new marquee player.
The 5-foot-8 forward has been the highest profile American player for many years.
Donovan, 32, has netted more goals than any other player in U.S. national team history (57) and is the leading all-time scorer (138) for Major League Soccer.
The exceptionally fast Donovan scored one of the most famous goals in U.S. history, knocking home a stoppage-time shot in the 2010 World Cup to beat Algeria and get the United States out of group play.
Many expected Donovan to be named to the 2014 team and make an appearance in his fourth World Cup, but he was cut by U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
"Landon Donovan is one of the most significant figures in the history of soccer in the United States," L.A. Galaxy coach and former U.S. coach Bruce Arena said Thursday. "His influence on MLS and soccer in this country will continue to be felt for many years to come.
U.S. goalie Tim Howard tweeted: "It's been an honor."
Donovan has four goals and seven assists this year for the Galaxy, which has 15 matches left in the regular season. He also had the game-winning goal for the MLS all-stars in a 2-1 victory Wednesday night against Bayern Munich.
He also played professionally in England and Germany. He said he played most of his career in the States to be near family and to help build MLS into a league respected worldwide.
"Landon is to MLS what Michael Jordan was to the NBA, Wayne Gretzky was to the NHL and Tiger Woods was to the PGA Tour: a player whose sporting accomplishments and popularity transformed their respective leagues and set a new standard for how the game would be played," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said.
Donovan said part of the reason he took a sabbatical last year, including time away during the U.S World Cup qualifying campaign, was to see how he would feel about life away from soccer. He already had contemplated retiring, he said, but came back from his trip abroad rejuvenated and anxious to play on.
Not everyone who helped him with the decision was pro-retirement, he said. At 32, he could still be a good player for a few more seasons. And he is walking away from the last two years of his contract, which pays him "a lot of money," he said.
He will be remembered most for his moments of brilliance for the Red, White and Blue. Donovan left an indelible mark on the U.S. national team and its history.
Forget all the goals, assists or the hat tricks against Scotland, Ecuador and Cuba (he actually hung four on Cuba).
There are reasons Donovan has earned a sort of cult fame among U.S. soccer's fan base, and fame among America's casual fans.
He's one of the primary reasons fans of archrival Mexico shudder when they hear the chant "dos a cero" (two to zero). The most glorious dos a cero for American fans came when Donovan buried the second goal in the 2002 World Cup round of 16. His first game for the United States was against Mexico in 2000, when he was just 18. He scored.
He was oh so fast and he could beat defenders one on one. If there was a penalty kick for the United States, he would bury it.
He had a knack for well-placed set pieces, taking most of the U.S. free kicks for many years.
"I feel incredibly blessed and lucky to have played a role in the remarkable growth of MLS and U.S. Soccer during my playing career," he wrote Thursday. "And while my career as a player will soon be over, rest assured I will stay connected on many levels to the beautiful game."
Donovan indicated he wanted to work with youth soccer players, possibly at an academy run by the Galaxy.
CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report.
