USMNT Defender Puts 2026 World Cup Hopes on the Line to ‘Join’ La Liga Giants

Another American talent is gearing up to make the leap from MLS to Europe.

Alex Freeman is bidding farewell to MLS. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

U.S. men’s national team defender Alex Freeman has reportedly completed a move from Orlando City to Spanish outfit Villarreal just five months ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 21-year-old, who came through the ranks of Orlando City’s academy, entered the final 12 months of his contract with the MLS club once the calendar flipped to 2026. Instead of exploring a new option with the Lions, Freeman is set to take his career to Europe.

The Athletic report the American standout is headed to La Liga in a deal worth an initial fee around $4 million, with a further $3 million in add-ons. Orlando City retains a sell-on clause, which could see the club earn more than just the transfer’s potential $7 million in the future.

Freeman is set to join Villarreal immediately. The Yellow Submarine sit fourth in the La Liga standings and are just four points —with a game in hand—off Atlético Madrid in third. Although the defender will gain valuable experience playing in Spain, he will not compete in the Champions League; Villarreal arecrashing out of the competition after managing just one point in seven league phase matches.

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Freeman’s Rapid Rise for Club and Country

Alex Freeman took home the MLS Young Player of the Year award. | Mark Thorstenson/Orlando City/MLS/Getty Images

Freeman gained the attention of USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino and European suitors throughout his impressive 2025. The emerging talent had a breakout season with Orlando, tallying six goals and three assists in 30 league and playoff appearances.

Along the way, Freeman was an MLS All-Star selection and named the 2025 MLS Young Player of the Year. Despite Orlando’s postseason disappointment in the Eastern Conference Wild Card match against Chicago Fire, the Lions took away the small victory of finding what they hoped would be a homegrown player intent to play in a purple shirt for a long time.

The club even offered Freeman a max U-22 deal with an annual salary of around $800,000, per ESPN, but the defender opted to make the move to Europe, where many of his fellow USMNT teammates play, including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson.

Freeman, who started 2025 without a USMNT cap, soon shared the pitch with those four American stars as his rising stock trickled down to the national team. The young talent made his debut in the Stars and Stripes’ 2–1 loss to Türkiye on June 7 and then ultimately went on to feature in the final 12 games of the calendar year, quickly becoming a staple of Pochettino’s new 3-4-2-1 formation.

What soon turned into a dream second half of 2025 ended with Freeman bagging a brace against Uruguay, helping Pochettino’s side secure a thumping 5–1 victory to close out the November international window.

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Freeman’s 2026 World Cup Hopes Rely on Villarreal Transition

Mauricio Pochettino has several major decisions to make regarding his World Cup XI. | John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images

Despite becoming one of Pochettino’s favorites, Freeman’s spot in the Argentine’s XI come June is anything but certain. After all, he was logging heavy minutes during the Gold Cup when many of the USMNT’s strongest players were unavailable.

Veteran Tim Ream and Crystal Palace standout Richards will take up two of the three spots in Pochettino’s back three, with Freeman, Miles Robinson and Mark McKenzie all battling to get the nod at right center back.

Former USMNT star Alexi Lalas has Robinson leading the race, leaving Freeman potentially reduced to a substitute role at the 2026 World Cup. A move to Villarreal could either boost his chances or send him further down Pochettino’s pecking order.

The pressure is on Freeman to make a splash in La Liga, where his new club still must face Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Athletic Club in the coming months, a new kind of test for a player whose only club experience comes in MLS.

A failure to break into the team and impress in Europe could have the defender regretting his decision to leave behind an environment where he was flourishing and earning the admiration of Pochettino. The flip side, though, is that Freeman could rise to the level of one of Europe’s top five leagues and prove why he deserves to start on the grandest stage in soccer this summer.

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