Surprised by Alex Freeman’s ascent? Perhaps you shouldn’t be.
The 21-year-old fullback and one of last year’s breakout players for the U.S. men’s national team will now join Spanish top-flight club Villarreal, a source close to him confirmed to me after The Athletic broke the news Monday.
The son of Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Antonio Freeman, the younger Freeman has rapidly risen through the ranks. An academy product for MLS club Orlando City, he won Young Player of the Year honors last year. Now he’s heading to one of the best leagues in the world – and squarely put in the mix to be part of the USA’s squad at the 2026 World Cup.
Here are my takeaways following the agreement:
1. Swift Rise Continues
(Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
It’s hard to believe that a year ago today, Freeman had logged just 10 first-team minutes for Orlando City over his first two seasons as a pro. He hadn’t even been called up by USA coach Mauricio Pochettino for the annual January camp. But Freeman became one of Pochettino’s favorites by summer’s end by helping the USA reach the Gold Cup final, and then capped on his breakout 2025 by scoring his first two international goals in a 5-1 rout of Uruguay in November.
A source told me that Freeman drew Premier League interest from Wolverhampton last August. But Villarreal — currently sitting in fourth place in LaLiga behind the powerhouse trio of Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético Madrid — was persistent and eventually landed their man. The Spanish league could be a better fit for Freeman’s all-world athleticism anyway, which could lead to a smoother transition to Europe.
But it’s still a huge step-up: The team known as Yellow Submarine qualified for the UEFA Champions League this season and is on pace to do so again in 2026-27.
2. Gutsy Move With The World Cup Looming
On the surface, Freeman is taking a risk: had he stayed in Orlando (even on loan) until the World Cup, he’d be assured of starting every week in MLS. But that status could change quickly if Freeman doesn’t hit the ground running in Spain.
For the USMNT, Freeman had emerged as a first-choice player for Pochettino even before his sensational performance versus Uruguay in November. In that game, 2022 World Cup veteran Sergiño Dest was used on the wing to keep the youngster in the lineup in the right-back role. We’ll find out what Pochettino thinks of Freeman’s transfer on Thursday, when the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager speaks to U.S.-based reporters via video conference.
3. Playing Time Coming Immediately?
Even though Villarreal spent just $4 million before incentives on the transfer, he should see the pitch fairly quickly. The club has a clear need at right-back, with natural center backs Santiago Mourino and 20-year-old Pau Navarro platooning on the outside for most of the current campaign. Freeman seems like the ideal fit, but he’ll need to perform; although the club leads fifth-place Espanyol by seven points with a game in hand, they’re pushing for a Champions League spot and will tolerate the newcomer’s learning curve only if it doesn’t jeopardize their place in the La Liga standings.
On the flip side, Freeman will only cement his role as a World Cup starter if he excels in Spain over the second half of the 2025-26 campaign.
Read more: Alex Freeman on the World Cup and His Super Bowl-Winning Dad
4. A Feather In Orlando City’s Cap
(Photo by Mark Thorstenson – Orlando City/MLS via Getty Images)
As much as the Lions would’ve loved to keep Freeman (who turned down a contract extension, according to The Athletic), they still flipped a homegrown player on an expiring contract to a Top 5 European circuit for a deal that could eventually be worth a lot more money. First, Orlando could get up to $3 million more with add-ons, per multiple reports. They will also receive what could be a significant sell-on fee. While ESPN pegs that clause at 15 percent, one source told me that it could be worth an even bigger share.
So it’s a nice piece of business for Orlando, which wouldn’t have been able to get as high a fee this summer — even if Freeman starred for the USA at the World Cup — and could’ve lost the player for nothing at all at the end of the year.
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