Another American talent is gearing up to make the leap from MLS to Europe.
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.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.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 theFreeman 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 theboss 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., 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’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 aMauricio 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.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., 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.Amanda Langell is a Sports Illustrated FC freelance writer and editor. Born and raised in New York City, her first loves were the Yankees, the Rangers and Broadway before Real Madrid took over her life. Had it not been for her brother’s obsession with Cristiano Ronaldo, she would have never lived through so many magical Champions League nights 3,600 miles away from the Bernabéu. When she’s not consumed by Spanish and European soccer, she’s traveling, reading or losing her voice at a concert.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Doublet Fall 2026 Ready-to-Wear CollectionDoublet Fall 2026 ready-to-wear runway, fashion show & collection photos at Paris Men's Fashion Week, January 2026.
Read more »
Salt Lake City skier Mary Bocock qualifies for 2026 Winter OlympicsMatt Gephardt has worked in television news for more than 20 years, and as a reporter since 2010. He is now a consumer investigative reporter for KSL. You can find Matt on X at KSLmatt or email him at mattksl.com.
Read more »
Patou Fall 2026 Ready-to-Wear CollectionPatou Fall 2026 ready-to-wear runway, fashion show & collection photos at Paris Men's Fashion Week, January 2026.
Read more »
‘Always Been My Dream’—U.S. Soccer Star Set for 2026 Winter OlympicsThe assistant captain of Stanford’s women’s soccer team Sammy Smith is a dual-sport star heading to Italy in February.
Read more »
Road to World Cup 2026: USMNT’s Five Best Players of the Week—RankedIt was a standout week for Weston McKennie and other American players in Europe.
Read more »
Rahul Mishra Spring 2026 CoutureRahul Mishra Spring 2026 Couture runway, fashion show & collection photos at Paris Fashion Week, January 2026.
Read more »