With a World Cup roster spot, and potentially even a starter's role at stake, the Orlando City fullback is aiming to seize the moment


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Ahead of the World Cup, transfers take on a much greater importance. If you're already a starter at a club, leaving with six months to go until the tournament takes place has heightened risks and rewards. The possibility a move goes wrong and a player falls out of contention at his new club always looms, but if all goes well, and a player excels, the right move could elevate a squad player on his national team to a starting role. That's the position right back Alex Freeman hopes to find himself in. After breaking onto the United States men's national team scene, Freeman could be set to continue his meteoric rise with a move to Spanish club Villarreal, according to the Athletic.

For a player who just made their first start for Orlando City SC in March of 2025 before winning the league's Young Player of the Year award in October, it's wild to consider what a difference a year makes, but Freeman has met every test in his career so far, and a move to Spain could see him compete with Sergino Dest for the starting right back role on the USMNT. With Villarreal needing to replace starting right back Juan Foyth, after the team confirmed he injured in Achilles tendon over the weekend, there's very much a chance that Freeman could end up as a starter with the club. The Yellow Sumbarine are also very familiar with MLS, as Tajon Buchanan and Tami Oluwaseyi are currently contributing to the squad.

But it's far from a sure thing. Freeman will have a learning curve making the jump to Spain. While he's used to operating in attacking areas as a modern fullback, Freeman has largely been able to get by on his physical tools. As a multi-sport athlete growing up, he's been able to use that and size to his advantage in MLS, but moving abroad, work on defensive positioning and passing will need to be done. Spain is a good place to do that due to it being quite a technical league, but Freeman's physical skills will also help with that.

As you can see in the chart below, which compares Freeman to other wing backs and fullbacks, his attacking production has been elite for Orlando, but his passing and defending still leave a lot of room for growth, to put it gently.

His first start for the USMNT was facing Turkiye in a friendly in June, where Freeman had the unenviable task of tracking Kenan Yildiz in the match. While he was beaten at the start of the match, it was something that he recovered from to now be on the cusp of making the World Cup

"It was my first U.S. game, my first start, and I look up, and I have to go against the guy who has played for Juventus and has been a key player. So I feel like going into that kind of game, it was a moment where I'm like, dang, I really have to be at my best," Freeman said about that experience, speaking to CBS Sports in October. "That first pass I got beaten behind, and after that I was like, 'Oh my god, it's going to be a long game,' me trying to get comfortable and find confidence in myself in that kind of game."

For a young player, being able to go into the deep end and come out swimming is an intangible that can't always be accounted for. Some players have the tools, but when they're faced with a challenge, aren't able to rise to the occasion; that hasn't been the case for Freeman so far. Even when it comes to leaving Orlando for a move to Spain, when he left home at 16 to join the Weston FC academy, the 21-year-old is better adjusted for this move than the average young player leaving MLS.

Of course, a move doesn't come without risk, but given Villarreal's work with MLS exports and Freeman's ability to adapt, it's a match that could work on paper if he's able to improve his game to thrive in Spain. And that's where things could get interesting because with how rapid Freeman's improvement has been, the World Cup on home soil could be a fascinating time.

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USMNT outlook
During 2025, only two players, Diego Luna and Max Arfsten, earned more caps for the UMSNT than Freeman's 13, despite the right back making his debut for the team. He was even able to open his USMNT scoring account in a big way with a brace against Uruguay in one of the team's best performances of the year under Mauricio Pochettino. With the right back position very much unsettled heading into a critical March where the USMNT will face Belgium and Portugal, Freeman will have time to work with the squad in Villarreal and see if he can push for a starting role.

With Tim Weah and Dest both playing right back or right wing back at a Champions League level for Marseille and PSV, respectively, there will be a lot for Freeman to do, especially since sitting on the bench in Spain could hurt his chances of making the World Cup squad. It's an ultimate situation of betting on yourself as a player, and for Villarreal, with the move only costing a reported $4 million up front, it's a worthwhile flier for them. With other prominent moves like Fulham chasing Ricardo Pepi, and Toronto FC after Josh Sargent, Freeman may not be the only American on the move, but he could be the one to end up in the best position to hit the ground running in Spain. This is something that could leave Pochettino with tough decisions to make moving forward, but with the USMNT looking to better their round of 16 finish at the 2022 World Cup, that's only a good thing.

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