The USMNT has won its first two games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the fixture against Australia, Alex Freeman found the back of the net, scoring his third-ever international goal.
Being a star right-back, center back, and right winger for the La Liga club Villarreal and the USMNT was not always a guarantee for Freeman. His father is former Green Bay Packer Antonio Freeman, and other former NFL stars wanted the younger Freeman to play American football, according to Michael Silver of The Athletic.
Alex attended American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida. It is a football powerhouse, and, at the time, was coached by Patrick Surtain. In Surtain's time at American Heritage, he went 66-10 with three National Championships. He was also just one of many former NFL stars to be around the program. That led to questions for Alex's dad, Antonion, who was consistently asked about his son's future.
“There were a number of guys who I played (in the NFL) with that were around the program,” Antonio Freeman said. “Guys used to call me and say, ‘When are you gonna let Alex come out for the football team?’ Oronde Gadsden (Sr.) called me every year — his son (now with the Los Angeles Chargers) was the star receiver. He said, ‘We could put (Alex) in the slot!’”
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Still, his mother, Rochelle Hinkle, who dated Antonio when he was a player at Virginia Tech and then watched his NFL career, wanted him to play soccer.
“Eventually, I had to tell them, ‘No, he’s gonna play academy soccer.’ And guess what: Mom was right. Mom’s always right,” Freeman said.
The move has paid off. The elder Freeman was a third-round pick in the 1995 NFL Draft and became an elite player with the Packers, winning a Super Bowl and being named to the Packers Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, the younger Freeman was initially part of Orlando City in the MLS. Then he moved to Villareal in 2026 and is under contract until 2032.
He has also been part of the USMNT since 2025. Now, he will be looking to win a World Cup and have a title just like his father.
The USMNT has won its first two games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the fixture against Australia, Alex Freeman found the back of the net, scoring his third-ever international goal. Being a star right-back, center back, and right winger for the La Liga club Villarreal and the USMNT was not always a guarantee for Freeman.