The rising USMNT star that dominated Real Madrid and has a sky-high ceiling
The United States back line is in good hands for a while.
Heading into the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup , the USMNT under Mauricio Pochettino looked set for a Cinderella run on home soil. A 2-0 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina kept the dream alive, but Belgium was waiting and motivated in the Round of 16.
While Pochettino's squad wanted to go further, it was a strong showing from the United States. The team was able to find new protagonists, too, with Malik Tillman and Folarin Balogun leading the charge in attack. On the back line, it was Alex Freeman who shined. Before even turning 22 years old, Freeman was already an indispensable piece for Pochettino .
Freeman was fresh off of a January move to Spanish club Villarreal . To begin this season, Freeman has been on fire . Freeman started against both Malaga and Levante before the international break, putting together Fotmob scores of 8.0 and 7.8 , respectively. But his performance against Real Madrid on Saturday has put his name in the global spotlight.
Alex Freeman named Man of the Match for performance against Real Madrid
Despite Real Madrid winning the match 1-0, Freeman was Fotmob's Man of the Match with an 8.4 rating . His stats during the game were incredible: He made a whopping 18 defensive contributions and was almost flawless in possession .
As the son of former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman , Alex's athleticism was never in question. But Freeman has a strong understanding of how to play both center back and right back, and he's only getting better.
