World Cup 2026: USA’s Alex Freeman is the son of Super Bowl winner but is forging his own path

In September 1996, Antonio Freeman’s performance lit up the American football scene as his two goals helped the Green Bay Packers to an impressive win at the Seattle Seahawks.

Months later he became a Super Bowl winner; this was the highest award an NFL player could achieve.

Fast forward almost 30 years and the Freeman name is once again making headlines in Seattle, but this time in a different sport; son Alex scored his first World Cup goal on Friday to help the United States secure a 2-0 victory over Australia and cement their place in the knockout stages.

“This is such a family moment,” Alex Freeman said after the win.

“It shows how amazing the family tree is. It shows that he can be great, but I can also be great in my own way, and how amazing it is to have a father who is successful and can mentor me to be ready for moments like this.”

The senior Freeman has been following his son, who has been seen smiling with pride at USA games, every step of his World Cup journey.

But considering the NFL has long eclipsed football as the nation’s most popular sport, it wasn’t easy for Alex to initially make the decision to follow that path.

Unsure of how his father would react, he was initially encouraged to pursue football by his mother and stepfather, who also served as his first coach in the game.

The 21-year-old defender revealed last year that he initially had to keep his love of football a secret but was happy to finally be encouraged to follow his dream.

“This just shows how quickly things can change and that you shouldn’t doubt yourself,” he added.

“Now that I’m here, it shows you can never give up. If you keep pushing, you never know what chance you’re going to get and how you can go and make things happen.”

“You never know when that chance will come again.”