Antonio Freeman readily admits he didn't know much about soccer when his son, Alex, started to play.
But based on the reactions of others, the former Green Bay Packers receiver knew Alex must be doing something right.
"It was almost mesmerizing going to his soccer games and just every other word from all of the kids, was 'Freeman, Freeman, Freeman, Freeman, Freeman,'" Antonio said in a recent interview with ESPN. "And he just had this smile and this happiness on the soccer field. Even though he was good at other sports, that one seemed to come the easiest."
Still, Antonio never imagined it would result in this.
And by this, he means watching Alex as a member of the U.S. men's national team in the World Cup. The team opens group stage play on Friday against Paraguay in Los Angeles, and Alex is expected to play a key role as a defender.
"He's right; my dad didn't know anything about soccer," Alex told ESPN three days before the World Cup opener. "He's just kind of learned as I've gone on, and it's been good to know that he's had an interest in wanting to learn more about the sport as I've gone on."
Alex Freeman was born on Aug. 9, 2004, nearly eight months after the last NFL game of his father's nine-year career, eight of which were spent with the Packers. It included back-to-back Super Bowl appearances (1996, 1997 seasons) to go with several famous plays during a career that landed him in the Packers Hall of Fame. There was the 81-yard touchdown pass from Brett Favre in the Super Bowl XXXI victory and the Monday Night Miracle catch from Favre, one of the most famous plays in "Monday Night Football" history.
It would have been natural for Alex to follow in his father's footsteps onto the football field.
And he did.
Until he discovered the other football: soccer.
But even then, Alex wasn't sure what to do.
"I had my doubts when I first chose soccer," Alex said. "In my heart, I wanted to continue playing football, but I knew that if I wanted to be the best, I had to limit my area of concentration and I had to limit it all to soccer at that point."
Antonio, in his heart, always knew his son would eventually choose soccer.
"I had dreams of coaching him in football and basketball and showing him how to shoot a 3-pointer, make a pump fake and different things," Antonio said. "But his joy was on that soccer field, and when he became a teenager, he just played more and more soccer.
"It was soccer every day, all day. He was watching it on his iPad, he was kicking the balls around the house against the furniture, which you're not supposed to do. He kicked everything. It didn't matter what it looked like, he would just kick it. And he just grew into the sport."
However, it wasn't immediately clear that Alex made the right call. Despite his proficiency on the soccer pitch, he didn't take off on a national level right away. Alex joined the Orlando City Academy's team and played on its U17 squad and then the Orlando City B, which plays in the MLS Next Pro league.
"Even then, he was playing for the B team, so it's not like he was getting a lot of time with the big team," Antonio said. "I didn't really know what to tell him as a parent. I just told him, 'Hey, just keep working, be ready. The next opportunity will come. You just got to make it happen.'"
Alex's career took off in early 2025, when he moved up to Orlando City's MLS roster. As a right back, he made the MLS All-Star team, the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge and was named MLS Best XI that year. In January of this year, he earned a transfer to Villareal in Spain's La Liga for a reported transfer fee of $4 million with incentives up to $6.5 million.
He made his USMNT debut in 2025 and appeared in the Gold Cup later that year. At age 20, he was the youngest player on the team.
Earlier this year, he made several appearances for the national team, but his spot on the World Cup team wasn't solidified until last month.
The Freemans were together in Spain when Alex got the word.
It came in the form of a video message from national team manager Mauricio Pochettino.
"My dad got to see it for the first time and started going crazy," Alex said.
To Antonio, it topped even the day he was drafted in Round 3 by the Packers in 1995.
"Man, you know what, that was an amazing personal moment for me to get drafted," Antonio said. "But I always want to see other guys be successful too, and I'm definitely that way about my kids. You always want to see your kids do better and to reach the heights and pro sports and pro football that I reached, which is pretty high.
"And then you have your kid come along and not even go from a national superstar but go to a global star, that's like next level. We see coach on the video congratulate him on making the team. And man, I just went ecstatic, man. I just lost it, ran around the room, kind of crazy."
At age 21, Alex is the youngest on the U.S. roster.
While soccer is his life, Alex doesn't stray too far away from the game of American football. In fact, when asked to describe his style of play, he used an NFL player as a comparison.
"I'm kind of a guy who likes to join the attack but also who can defend really well," Alex said. "I'm kind of that guy who can be very versatile in that right-side position. And for me, I just kind of like to be good on both sides of the ball. If I had to compare that to football, it would be a [Jaguars WR/CB] Travis Hunter."
And yes, Alex is a Packers fan and has made several trips to Lambeau Field when his dad returns for alumni functions. While he never saw Antonio play in person, he has no doubt that his dad's career in the NFL helped him become what he is in soccer.
"I think it's just habits," Alex said. "I feel like being around him so much, my habits as a professional I've had since I was younger. Knowing that I had to do the training, I had to eat right, I had to be able to do the extra stuff and have the confidence and the commitment.
"I feel like for me at a young age, I always had that because I always had a mentor like him to be able to look up to, and I'm so grateful for that."
