Alex Freeman scores for U.S. at World Cup, carries Freeman legacy
Alex Freeman’s first World Cup goal helped the U.S. clinch a knockout berth, while Antonio Freeman watched a new Freeman moment unfold in Seattle.
Alex Freeman scored his first World Cup goal in Seattle on June 19, and the United States used the 43rd-minute header to beat Australia 2-0, clinch a place in the Round of 32 with one group match left and become the first modern-era USMNT to qualify for a knockout round after only two group games.
The finish came after a deflected Sergiño Dest shot and survived a VAR review after the assistant had flagged Freeman offside. It also pushed Freeman into rare company as the sixth-youngest American to score in a FIFA World Cup, a milestone that arrived just a year after his U.S. national team debut.
Antonio Freeman had his own Seattle day on Sept. 29, 1996, when he caught seven passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-10 win over the Seahawks at the old Kingdome. His son scored at Lumen Field, built on the same site, and Antonio Freeman said watching it was “10,000 times better” than anything he experienced as a player. He also called it “the best Father’s Day weekend ever” and said his phone overheated after more than 400 congratulatory texts.
Born in Baltimore on Aug. 9, 2004, and later raised in Plantation, Florida, Freeman attended American Heritage School, joined Orlando City’s academy in 2020 from Weston FC and signed as a homegrown player. Freeman said he had a “secret love for soccer” growing up, while his mother, Rochelle, backed Liverpool and his first soccer coach was his stepfather, Jake Hinkle.
The breakthrough accelerated in 2025, when Freeman made 38 appearances across all competitions for Orlando City, scored six goals and added three assists. That season brought bigger recognition too: a place in the MLS All-Star Game, the MLS Young Player of the Year award and a spot on the MLS Best XI. Mauricio Pochettino then kept Freeman in the USMNT picture through all 10 pre-World Cup tune-ups and named him to the final 26-player squad.
Four years ago, Freeman was still in MLS NEXT Pro with Orlando City B and just beginning to break into the U.S. Under-19 setup. By the time the World Cup arrived, the 21-year-old had become a starter and a scorer.
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