Landon Donovan and Ian Darke’s World Cup travel plans descended into chaos — and the Fox Sports pair made their frustration public.
The soccer broadcasters ripped United Airlines on X after what they described as a brutal ordeal on United Flight 404 from Houston to Newark, which allegedly left passengers delayed, diverted and stuck for hours at Washington Dulles International Airport.
Darke, one of the sport’s best-known commentators, was first to call out the airline.
“Every passenger on @united 404 from Houston to Newark will think twice about using that airline again,” Darke wrote on X.
According to Darke, the flight had already been delayed, diverted and reboarded before passengers were told the crew could no longer operate the plane.
“On tarmac at Dulles ready to take off for Newark when pilot says crew has timed out,” Darke wrote. “Still there 5 hours later. No hotel offer.”
Donovan then responded directly to Darke’s post with an even stronger rebuke.
“I’ve been traveling 100k miles/year since I was 16 and this was easily the worst travel experience of my life,” Donovan wrote.
“No transparency, no clarity and no respect for the passengers who were treated horribly all evening/morning. Absolutely shameful from @united.”
The public criticism marked an ugly travel interruption for two of Fox’s World Cup voices during one of the busiest stretches of the tournament.
Donovan, one of the most recognizable figures in American soccer, is no stranger to life on the road.
The former U.S. men’s national team star played in three World Cups and spent years traveling across the country and abroad during his playing career.
He is tied with Clint Dempsey as the USMNT’s all-time leading scorer with 57 goals and holds the national team record for assists.
His most famous World Cup moment came in 2010, when he scored a stoppage-time winner against Algeria to send the U.S. into the knockout stage.
Darke was also part of that moment, providing the commentary for Donovan’s dramatic goal during ESPN’s broadcast.
Now reunited as part of Fox’s World Cup coverage, the two found themselves making headlines away from the booth after turning their travel nightmare into a very public complaint.
It was not immediately clear what caused the original delay or diversion, or when passengers eventually reached Newark.
