Read for 5 minutesJune 20, 2026 02:05 PM IST
With a 2-0 victory over Australia at the Seattle Stadium on Friday, hosts USA recorded their second victory of the tournament after a 4-1 victory over Paraguay in their FIFA World Cup opener.
Twenty-one-year-old Alex Freeman scored the team’s second goal in a 2-0 win over Australia. He had earlier assisted teammate Gio Reina for the fourth goal in USA’s previous encounter against Paraguay. Almost 30 years ago, Alex’s father, Antonio Freeman, won the Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI with three catches for 105 yards and an 81-yard touchdown pass to Brett Favre during a 35-21 victory over the New England Patriots in New Orleans. Earlier in the 1996 NFL season, Freeman scored two touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks at the Seadome in Seattle, the city where Alex scored his third goal for the USA and first in the World Cup. Before Friday’s game, Freeman spoke about his son’s career as well as carrying the family torch.
“I didn’t know he was going to work so hard to be great and, man, to sit here and say I expected these things, I’m not going to be honest, but I’m happy to be here. I’m happy with the work Alex has done, the sacrifices he’s made as a teenager. Soccer is a full-year job. It’s a big sacrifice to play a full-year game and a full-year fast game. He’s just done a great job of carrying the torch right now,” Antonio Freeman said against Australia against the USA. 15 told WMTV two days before the match.
Alex began his football career at the Orlando City Academy and made his debut for the club’s senior team in 2022 at the age of 17. The youngster made 46 appearances for Orlando City in Major League Soccer and scored six goals for the club. In January this year, Alex completed a seven million dollar transfer with La Liga side Villarreal and has made nine appearances for the Spanish club so far. A member of the USA U-17, U19 and U23 teams, Alex made his senior debut for the USA last year and made 17 appearances for the USA prior to the World Cup.
Last year, Alex made his senior debut for the USA against Turkey. The Fort Lauderdale native, who now lives with his mother Rochelle Hinkle and stepfather Jake Hinkle, talked about how he’s always asked if he’s going to play American football.He had a secret love for football. “Growing up I was always asked if football was the way to go, but when I was younger I always had a secret love for soccer,” Alex told the AP.
His mother shared that Alex didn’t want to tell his father about his love for soccer. “The truth is, Alex didn’t want to play football and he didn’t want to tell his dad that. They all used me as an excuse. He just wanted to make his own lane and his own way. I don’t think he had the words to say then,” Rochelle Hinkle told the AP.
After a Cameron Burgess own goal gave the USA a 1–0 lead, Alex scored the second goal for the USA in the 43rd minute of the match. It was Alex’s third goal in USA colors and his first in the World Cup. “For me, it shows how great the family tree is. He can be great, but I can be great in my own way. I think it shows how amazing it is to have a successful dad and he can guide me to prepare for moments like this. It’s very emotional for me because I think you dream of this moment and finally celebrate it,” Alex said, “A post like this will help you a lot. to match
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Freeman, who played nine seasons in the NFL and made the All-Pro team in 1998, spoke earlier this week about how he enjoyed traveling to watch his son play. “I have to say it’s amazing sometimes. I never thought I’d be traveling the world on the soccer circuit, traveling the country to see my son, you know, have the opportunity to go to Spain and watch him play there. It’s just been an amazing ride,” Freeman told 15 WMTV.
With the USA qualifying for the Round of 32, Freeman hopes the team will advance further in the tournament and sees his son playing and scoring more goals for the team.