During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 21-year-old Alex Freeman has been a breakout star for the United States Men’s National Team, and he’s carrying on the tradition of athletic stardom in his family – just in a different sport.
Freeman is actually the son of longtime NFL standout wide receiver Antonio Freeman, who spent time with the Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Miami Dolphins throughout nearly a decade in the league. Now, the former first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler is watching his son emerge as a star in his own right.
In the USMNT’s first match against Paraguay – the 21-year-old’s first-ever World Cup match – Freeman had an assist. In the second match against Australia, he found the back of the net with a header to notch his first-ever World Cup goal.
“It was kind of good to be able to make my own path, make my own future and kind of my own person,” Alex Freeman said during a recent interview with the Washington Post.
That said, Alex has taken some positives away from having a superstar father who has competed at the highest level of his sport.
“I think, for me, it just shows how great the family tree is,” Alex Freeman said. “He can be great, but I can be great in my own way as well. And I think it just shows how amazing it is to have a dad who’s successful and that can mentor me to be able to be ready for moments like these.”
And at this point, Alex’s stardom might have eclipsed his father’s. And it sounds like his father wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Before it was, ‘Hey, it’s Antonio Freeman, congratulations on a great career,’” Antonio Freeman told Maese. “And now it’s, ‘Hey, congratulations to your son.’ So that’s a good transition. And it’s healthy, and man, I love it.”
About Dave Kelsey
Contributing author to The Comeback.